An Initiative to Treat Our Youth's Mental & Physical Wellbeing
On an annual basis, City of Dreams is able to offer our transitional-aged youth, Ground Zero, an experience outside of Bayview meant for healing and self-expression. This weekend, the Ground Zero cohort met in Nevada City for U3Fit’s Revive Retreat, a weekend dedicated to resetting and releasing doubt–a common sentiment afflicting the kids of Bayview. The retreat was organized by U3Fit’s Lawanda Dickerson, staff, and Macio, our Ground Zero Coordinator. A combination of outdoor wellness activities and separated time to self-reflect, encouraged the kids to think critically about who they are and who they want to be. Often caught in the oppression of a society that does not root for them, this retreat offers a guided appreciation of their existence as deserving human beings. The retreat casts away judgment, instead focusing on the connection between mind and body. “I got the love I needed,” said Jahziah when asked how the retreat went.
Made possible by the Dream Keeper Initiative, an approach that directly invests in Black communities, we are able to guarantee an annual retreat for this group of kids. This year, the youth were fortunate enough to be guided through well-organized activities like: meditation, prayer, health and wellness coaching sessions, workshops on “How to Create Healthy Boundaries”, zip-lining, yoga, paint-balling, swimming, and hiking. Each day would start with mediation and yoga, centering the kids before the fun of the rest of the day.
Experiences like these are created to incite a desire for possibility.
Yet, we cannot forget the intricacy of inspiring youth to even believe in "possibility" in the face of constant violence. Poverty in San Francisco is a public health crisis and our community specifically, is the hardest hit. One of our principal issues, substance abuse, has been met with regressive policy that punishes victims, in turn fueling mass incarceration, and violently suppressing Black and Brown communities economically, socially, and spiritually. When we see the growth of GZ youth like Jahziah who was admitted into Sacramento State University and Aaron who was admitted into San Francisco State University, the oppressive patterns of policy are minimized in their efficacy to stop BIPOC progress. It is through community efforts and love that fuels the progress of our kids. Macio Dickerson, our Ground Zero Coordinator, is the embodiment of this community love. Years of coaching, teaching, and supporting the kids of Bayview has made him a prominent figure in the lives of these families. He has reinforced the success of this program through active participation in their academics, career-finding, and mental wellness.
Initiatives like the Revive Retreat orient our kids to “connect with their purpose,” and embody sureness in themselves as individuals with potential. Evidence tells us that this community of love inspires our kids to be ambitious, live in wellness, and appreciate life. Gradually, as one community, we are combatting the violence against our kids' mental wellness.
To learn more about Ground Zero, visit our program page.
To learn more about U3Fit, visit u3fit.com.
