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Must! Charities Youth Board proves giving is better than getting

July 18, 2018

READ FULL ARTICLE FROM PASO ROBLES DAILY NEWS HERE.

Youth Board now taking applications

–Must! Charities Youth Board utilized a results-oriented approach to gifting to local Northern San Luis Obispo County organizations. After extensive research into the greatest social needs facing youth in their community, the Youth Board made a $10,000 commitment with Youth Works, an organization in the Oak Park Community of Paso Robles, that teaches leadership and job skills to prepare youth for the working world. The goal of this $10,000 gift was to allow more youth to participate in the program.

And true to Must! Charities mission to focus on results, it did:

• 52 youth working – 21 of them new this year.
• An additional 58 new youth are participating in programs that Youth Works offers (running
club, coding club, homework club).
• 592 activities and events were offered this year ranging from tutoring, enrichment classes,
and pancake breakfast feeds.
• Total attendance for all events was 4,804.

“One of the biggest highlights for our youth at our Youth Board meetings was reading the success stories from Youth Works each quarter,” said Becky Gray, Executive Director of Must! Charities. “The results exceeded our youth board’s expectations and motivated them to do more for others in our community.”

Energized by the Youth Works project, the Youth Board embarked on a second project with Paso Robles’ Coast for Kids; intending only to volunteer time. However, the Youth Board was so inspired, they returned ready to craft another project before the end of the school year.

Gray recalls, “There were grandiose ideas…yet, reality and schedules began to conflict and they hit a roadblock. But, within an hour, they conceptualized how to work smarter, not harder for greater results.” She says, “At Must! Charities we call this “Giving Made Easy. Sometimes a little effort combined with a solid strategy goes a long way.”

In the next month, they contacted a number of schools collecting lost and found jackets, taking them to partner dry cleaners who then cleaned the coats. From there, the Coats for Kids Leadership Team picked up the coats to store them until the next distribution event. Through their efforts, five school partnerships were formed and over 500 coats collected.

Ready to make a difference? The Youth Board is currently accepting applications for our 2018-2019 Youth Board. Deadline to submit application is Aug.15. Visit www.mustcharities.org for more information.

Since 2012, Must! Charities has committed over $1.6 million dollars in North San Luis Obispo County. Must! Charities works together with individuals and businesses in the community who are dedicated to improving the quality of life of those most in need. The charity’s community work adds to the vibrancy of the region by strengthening partnerships and programs through fundraising and advocacy. They continuously empower non-profits to make strategic, sustainable changes that create greater impacts in relationships.