From the moment Mentoring Matches arrived, they were welcomed into a warm, mixer-style environment. As they enjoyed catching up and sipping sparkling cider, volunteers passed butternut squash soup shooters and pomegranate caprese skewers.

As Matches mingled, Mulvaney’s Co-owner Bobbin and Hospitality Manager Laurie began a warm and approachable etiquette lesson—sharing practical life skills on navigating social situations, starting conversations, and what to do when you’re unsure where to put a used skewer or cup. They also introduced both open and assigned seating customs, then guided Matches to beautifully set tables thanks to linens and place settings from Mulvaney’s.

The semi-formal 4-course meal flowed seamlessly, with pre-set harvest salads next. As the meal progressed, Bobbin demystified common dining questions (“Which glass is mine?” “What’s all this silverware for?” “Is it OK to reach for the bread?”), offering reassurance and real-world advice. Before entrees were served, Bobbin had shared the necessary tips on what to expect during more formal dining experiences, leaving time for Matches to simply enjoy the rest of the meal and one another’s company. Entrées of rotisserie chicken or a meatless applewood sausage, paired with creamy mashed potatoes and green beans, were then served. Dessert, of course, was pumpkin pie.

One mentee said, “…that was some of the best food I’ve ever had!”

This special gathering was made possible by a grant from Save Mart CARES Foundation. Save Mart store 623 on Kiefer Blvd. also generously provided the ingredients and collaborated with our Program Team to design a menu that was both tasty and easy to prepare.

After dinner, the celebration continued with raffle prizes, casual games of pool, and plenty of laughter and conversation. Watching our youth build genuine friendships with one another is one of the most rewarding parts of our community—and this gathering was full of those moments.

Friendsgiving was a joyful success, and we are excited to make it an annual tradition. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped make it a meaningful and memorable experience.

Our Program Team also led interactive meal planning, cooking and budgeting exercises. One activity was a competition between Mentoring Matches in which each Match had to plan a meal of $10 or less made from at least 3 ingredients that included at least one protein and vegetable. Matches maneuvered through the store, noting selected ingredients, their costs, and the approximate number of people the completed meal could serve. The winner at $6.51 for 2 to 4 servings was an easy noodle stir fry made with chicken, ramen noodles and a frozen vegetable mix.

Another fun activity was to create a shopping list for a week’s worth of groceries within a $50 budget. This activity needed 3 items from all major food groups (fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains and dairy). Matches roamed the store, marking their scavenger hunt cards with the delicious foods they would buy. They quickly realized how important meal planning is and the benefits of buying ingredients that could be used in various dishes.

This was the first UPshop that our AmeriCorps Members fully planned. Maya and Manu did a fantastic job of equipping our teens and young adults with the skills needed to shop for and make affordable, healthy meals. And it was a blast!

Our goal is for the youth to leave every UPshop with something tangible to continue practicing what they learned. Each participant received a canvas shopping bag and gift card—teens received $25, and young adults living on their own received $50. Most were put to immediate use as mentees wanted to purchase some of the items they discovered.

This was one of our most hands-on and robust UPshops. In a fun and relaxed manner, it imparted many useful skills needed for everyday adulting. Our big thanks to Save Mart on Gerber Road for kindly hosting us with a private space in the breakroom, encouraging exploration of the store and providing a delicious deli lunch. We loved the positive energy and seeing mentees and mentors get so much out of this event.

Faith simultaneously works as a server at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, a job she has had for a while now. She is also a dedicated student with less than one year from completing her bachelor’s degree in child and adolescent development in the study of social and community contexts from California State University, Sacramento.

As Aging UP’s FYI AmeriCorps Member, Faith is especially passionate to help youth in foster care because she was in foster care at one point. Faith is also planning to go into social work after her degree. She lives in Elk Grove and, when she is not working or studying, she enjoys walks around the park, painting, reading, and cleaning…yes cleaning.

This fun-filled day is exclusively for youth with current or former foster care experience who are 14 years old or older and can be accompanied by a supportive adult (mentor, parent, guardian, social worker, etc.).

Attendees will enjoy interactive activities, including high-tech driving simulators used by the California Highway Patrol! Prizes, lunch and resources are all part of this FREE event. Pre-registration is required.

Impact Teen Drivers and its partners the California Highway Patrol and the California Office of Traffic Safety are the driving force behind this event, and we couldn’t be more pleased to join them.

Learning to drive is often a highlight for teens and young adults. Unfortunately, along with other normalcy experiences, youth in foster care face many barriers to gaining their driver’s license. It is estimated that only 4% of youth obtain a driver’s license while in foster care. Barriers include frequent moves, costs (instruction, insurance and gas), or having an adult with a car to help them practice.

We are so excited to be part of this important event. Youth will learn tips and tricks to stay safe as a driver or passenger and also gain resources on how to obtain their licenses.

Youth from foster care, ages 14 or older can attend with an adult. Please register by Sept. 6.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness — it’s not always the silent meditation that is often associated. We were thrilled to have Shannon Sinclair, a Certified Mindful Schools Instructor who specializes in teaching young people, lead our group in exploring a variety of practices.

We began with a 5-minute sit. Teens and mentors planted their feet to bring awareness to that sensation and then noted others, like breath, air temperature, support of the chair, etc. Shannon also explained the “name it to tame it” technique. It’s a simple but incredibly helpful act of noticing a strong emotion and giving it a name. This can reduce the overtaking effect of emotions as they flood and help maintain rational mental processing.

The group also had the privilege of participating in a brief mindful movement session by Michael Crespo, health coach and owner of CrossFit Novato. This involved maintaining awareness through physical actions like lunges, squats, and on-the-floor twists. Michael explained that mindful activities also include physical exercise as well as being in nature.

We finished with a gratitude practice where each participant wrote something that they are grateful for. The entire group smiled when a teen revealed his mentor’s name. The powerful practice of focusing on what’s working (versus what is not working) stimulates gratitude and overall mental well-being.

Mindfulness can be particularly beneficial to people who have experienced trauma. Every youth from foster care experienced the trauma of being removed from their home and whatever event(s) led to that removal. With the right supports, like healthy relationships and strong coping techniques, the effects of trauma can be reduced and even eliminated. We’re grateful that Shannon and Michael shared their journeys of overcoming struggles through mindfulness and self-compassion.

Our UPshops are specifically designed to be hands-on workshops that develop and enhance life skills. We often focus on “soft skills” because of the long-term benefits that communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills provide.

Funding for this UPshop was gratefully provided by Ticket to Dream Foundation’s Take Flight program. We are thankful to be among Ticket to Dream’s nonprofit partners in providing transition-aged youth from foster care with the skills and support they need to be successful.

Star* is one of the young adults in our program. She recently moved into her first apartment. It was a move that needed to happen quickly and she did not have most of what she needed. Thankfully, her Mentor Kristin worked with our Program Director Kecia to ensure the milestone was met with excitement.

Kecia reached out to our partners Defending the Cause Regional Alliance as well as her personal network to acquire items like a desk, coffee table, TV, lamps, décor and more. Almost simultaneously, Ticket to Dream Foundation’s Take Flight Program in partnership with Turbo Shine Car Wash provided additional grant support that helped us create an Emergency Fund specifically for our older teens and young adults. We immediately put this funding into action and purchased basic cleaning supplies and a gift card for Star.

Star met her mentor at a nearby Walmart and, gift card in hand, they enjoyed a two-hour shopping trip. The time was well-spent as Kristin used the opportunity to teach shopping skills. The Match discussed real value versus perceived value as they shopped for staple kitchen items and small appliances.

Star was genuinely appreciative and even though it was all her choice, she was shy to select items. As a fan of smoothies, Star’s eyes lit up at the sight of a Nutribullet, and with a little encouragement, she happily put it in the cart.

With more support than she ever expected, Star turned her new apartment into a home. Following her mentor’s example, she wrote a thank you note that stated, “…You made everything so much easier for me and I appreciate it. I will be having so much fun decorating.”

*Name and photos used with permission.

This was a truly collaborative effort. It began by partnering with STRIVE Giving. After initial brainstorming sessions, STRIVE created a unique UPshop (independent living skills workshop) of best practices to address the challenges of distance learning. There was a panel of educators offering insights and tips; a personal trainer that led the group in a mini-workout; and ended with a deep dive into creating a personal workspace, developing healthy habits, time blocking and the importance of mindset and positive affirmations. Most of the information also applied to mentors working from home, so everyone learned! One participant said that there were “…good tips and tricks on how to be successful and engaged with distance learning”.

It was good to hear that some of the youth were already incorporating healthy habits into their days. One youth drinks water when he first wakes up and throughout the day. Something he learned from an older brother that was in the Air Force. Another youth goes jogging every morning after her first period class. The personal trainer shared his perseverance to keep his new business running when COVID-19 struck, which was a lesson on resilience for everyone. Sharing healthy habits were really helpful for workshop participants, who noted that they had plans to drink more water each day, write down new habits they want to work on, or use affirmations.

For some time, we’ve enjoyed meeting to mutually share ideas with colleagues from the Wonder Mentoring Program, but have wanted to join together. This workshop was the perfect opportunity, and 3 of the older Wonder Matches joined us! 

Youth that attended the UPshop received a $10 gift card, whiteboard sleeve, dry erase marker, flash drive, and handouts to help with time blocking, habit tracking and self-reflection. All youth were entered into a drawing for two $25 gift cards and both an Aging UP and Wonder youth won the drawings.

In addition, backpacks with school supplies were delivered to all of our youth at the start of the school year. Funding from Ticket to Dream Foundation’s Take Flight Grant made the UPshop and the supplies youth received possible. We’re so thankful to Ticket to Dream for investing in our educational services, and to Strive Giving and Wonder Mentoring for partnering with us for this event.

During this independent living skills workshop in the Co-op’s Cooking School and Community Learning Center, our youth learned more than basic kitchen techniques; they gained tools and resources that extend beyond any kitchen or classroom.

Chef Dave Nelson led our group with a passion for helping people go from being recipe followers to understanding how to combine flavors and cook with readily available ingredients. His excellent and fun instruction included knife skills, explaining herbs and spices of cultural flavors, and demonstrating general cooking techniques.

With sharp chef knives in hand, our youth sliced, diced and chopped herbs and veggies to prepare two very different meals: Mexican chicken tacos with corn tortillas and salsa as well as uniquely tasty curry potato tacos on naan bread with tzatziki sauce.

Chef Dave was joined by Co-op staff Dana and Julia, who assisted with meal preparation and led our group on a tour of the store prior to the actual cooking portion. It was an eye-opening experience as youth searched for items, like chips and candy, that are similar to name brands but made without artificial preservatives or flavors (as is the standard for all items sold at the Co-op). As a special treat, some of those items were opened for our group to sample, right in the middle of an aisle. Every section of the store was explored, with favorites being bulk foods, deli and produce.

This UPshop provided a wholistic approach into tasty, healthy eating and the skills to do so in a budget-friendly manner. Once the meals were prepared, Mentoring Matches dished their plates from a lovely buffet that they arranged. Our group then sat together at a large table and enjoyed their delicious efforts.

This UPshop was made possible by the Take Flight Grant generously awarded by Ticket to Dream Foundation. Thanks to Ticket to Dream, each participant enjoyed this incredibly useful workshop and also received a special apron, Co-op burlap shopper bag and teen cookbook as keepsakes to continue practicing what they learned.

We are thankful to our friends at Ticket to Dream Foundation and Natural Foods Co-op for making such an exciting and educational UPshop possible. We are also grateful and proud of our mentors for providing support that allowed their teens to feel confident in their new culinary roles.