Challenging times call for creative thinking, innovation and a bit of serendipity. We have relied on all three as we have navigated the past 18 months and we want to thank you for helping us support youth in our community at unprecedented levels in our history!
You have helped us respond to specific challenges the pandemic posed to our youth as well as the growing needs of our community.
We were founded on the idea that we, as a community, can identify and fill gaps in service to young people. The last year and a half have given us ample opportunity to respond to those gaps.
Merging The Friendship Club and NEO into Bright Futures for Youth presents many more opportunities for youth in our community than ever before. Coming together has amplified our ability to respond quickly and confidently to their needs and will pave the way for new opportunities down the road that will lead to more engagement, connection and empowerment.
Bright Futures for Youth, in partnership with the County of Nevada, was able to respond to the challenge of helping youth without reliable internet access by opening a distance learning center in October 2020. The center closed in June, after serving hundreds of students. In July, we partnered again with the county to open a six-week summer day camp that served 154 students aged 5-15 and allowed their parents to work, or seek new employment.
And our next venture, renovating the NEO Youth Center near the Nevada County Fairgrounds in partnership with the Nevada Joint Union High School District, is an important next step in realizing our vision: Every young person has hope, opportunity and the capacity to succeed.
We hope you are as excited as we are to see what the future will bring. Thank you for investing in the next generation and for helping plant the seeds that will support our community for many years to come.
