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Did you know?
On Saturday June 25th of this year, youth leaders of MVFC's By Youth For Youth (BYFY) program inaugurated the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project by planting 100 native plants along the bike path in an area adjacent to the Center. BYFY is MVFC's youth enrichment program which concentrates on three main principles: personal growth, community leadership and education. The youth leaders were thrilled to take part in the beautification of their own community. Not only did the youth get the opportunity to learn about a variety of plant species, but they also went home with a feeling of accomplishment and empowerment. The time invested in changing the scenery of an area which used to be littered with trash and other debris, made the youth leaders more aware of the importance of taking responsibility for their own actions, and how they could make positive changes with their own hands. To learn more on how you can support MVFC's youth-led activities, please visit our site: marvistafc.org
Did you know?
Community fathers are playing an increasingly active role in MVFC's Early Childhood Education programs. Although in years past, a father was a rare sight at MVFC, this year 16 fathers of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers have been eager to get involved. Why? Because they have seen how the MVFC Shared Responsibility Curriculum Model teaches families to support one another in their education and personal growth goals. MVFC applauds its dads for breaking down traditional gender barriers and taking active roles in their children's lives. When fathers, mothers and children all share the same goals, the results are families that are stronger than ever, children who do well in school, and parents who support their children's education - from preschool all the way through college.
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Upcoming Events
Programs Begin
September 12, 2011
Community Clean-up
September 24, 2011
BYFY Conference
September 30 and October 1, 2011
Community Festival
October 15, 2011
Altar Exhibition
October 28, 2011
11:00am - 5:00pm
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Now More Than Ever
A note from the CEO
The Mar Vista Family Center (MVFC) is just about one-quarter through fiscal year 2011-2012. Last spring, as the staff and board of directors began putting together the agency's annual budget it became clear to us that just like so many other not for profits across the country, the residual impacts of the economy were taking a toll on our overall funding.
Because of the strength and longevity of our programming, the MVFC does benefit from ongoing relationships with many foundations and corporations both here in Los Angeles and in other parts of the country. Also, we are fortunate to have a small amount of revenue from government entities. But over the course of the past few years we have seen a decrease in some funding as it relates to foundations, corporations and government grants specifically. This is due to myriad reasons, but primarily it's attributed to shrinking endowments at foundations, and drastic cuts in local and state budgets.
The Mar Vista Family Center has a group of longtime individual donors and local businesses whose generosity and support is second-to-none. Because of the stellar, decades- long work we've done in the community, those individuals and businesses have always stood by us. In the coming months we will ask for that support again as we work to make sure that our programs remain 100% funded and operated at the same level of excellence that we've always accomplished. We hope that you will continue to be a partner to us as we navigate the next months and years.
Individuals make the Mar Vista Family Center the success story that it is. They're our participants and the community we serve, they're our staff who do the work every day, and they're our dedicated board of directors. And they're you, our support system, and we thank you now more than ever.
Sincerely,
Lucia
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Bringing the University to the Community
 | | UCLA student and Preschool parent Angelica Frausto |
In 1994 when Angelica Frausto enrolled her then 3-year old daughter in the Mar Vista Family Center's (MVFC) parent-participation preschool, she had no inkling that not only would her two younger daughters follow suit and also graduate from the same preschool program, but that one day Angelica herself would benefit from a curriculum that has become an integral part of the academic infrastructure that helps to make the MVFC so successful.
Through the efforts of one of the agency's founders, the late Betty Factor, the Mar Vista Family Center forged a partnership with UCLA to create the UCLA Early Childhood Education course. Launched in 1984, the program is designed specifically for MVFC parents who want to enroll in the course - which is taught at the Center and is offered free of tuition (thanks to another partnership with the Tikun Olam Foundation). The goal is simple. Offer to these parents the opportunity to earn a certificate in Early Childhood Education thereby allowing them to teach preschool. This year, twelve parents, including Angelica graduated from the program - marking the largest class thus far. To date more than 100 individuals have completed the course.
"When I learned about the chance to take this course and study for teaching certification I jumped at it. I want to set an example for my kids" said Angelica. The fact that the classes are held on-site at the MVFC made the course-work even more convenient for her.
After receiving her teaching certification, Angelica went to work as day care provider. She attributes her career success and more to the programmatic offerings at the MVFC, saying "I'm a better mother, I'm a better wife and...I'm a better person" because of the opportunities allowed her through her family's long involvement with the Center.
"The partnership with UCLA is one of the best examples of the successes that are everyday events at the Mar Vista Family Center. Through the Early Childhood Education course we've been able to bring the University to the Community," noted MVFC Chief Executive Officer Lucia Diaz. "Our mission is always guiding us, as well as the responsibility to the larger community, to our individual donors and funders, and most importantly to the people we serve, everyday for the last 34 years and everyday moving forward," Lucia says.
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By Youth For Youth Conference 2011: Finding the Leader in You
 | | BYFY Youth participating in "Human Web" Ice-breaker Activity |
The Mar Vista Family Center's By Youth For Youth (BYFY) program is in its 15th year and going strong. On Friday, September 30 & Saturday, October 1 program participants will host their annual youth conference aptly themed "Finding the Leader in You" at the Center.
Built on the foundation of the Mar Vista Family Center's self-empowerment and personal responsibility philosophies that help nurture young people to become leaders in and of their own lives, as well as in the lives of their families and communities, the BYFY program is multi-tiered in its approach. Personal growth, community leadership and education are the key components that have helped shape the overwhelming success of this program, which sees students from ages 13-21 participate.
"This is not just a conference that is put on and attended exclusively by Mar Vista Family Center youth, but rather from a network of other youth leadership-oriented agencies and groups across Los Angeles as well," notes Blanca Diaz, who serves as Youth Director at the Center. Attendance is generally between 100-150 people.
"The conference is one hundred percent conceived of, planned, executed and run by the BYFY participants," says Blanca. Members of the program are charged with devising the annual theme, as well as experiential activities to help teach key principals. Blanca goes on to explain that the two-day event allows teens to meet their peers from around the LA area in positive and constructive ways where they can talk and share about overcoming obstacles in their daily lives and foster unity with the goal of honing their leadership skills overall.
The BYFY program is another example of how the Mar Vista Family Center's core mission is working. "Without the ongoing support of some foundation resources, individuals and their financial contributions as well as local businesses, we'd be unable to fund the work and progress that shape BYFY," declared Lucia Diaz, who serves as the Mar Vista Family Center's CEO.
And the investment in the program pays dividends. Blanca points to an example that she witnessed at the 2010 BYFY conference.
"I watched closely a young girl who'd been a BYFY program participant for a year prior and who used to be extremely shy, always quiet and in the back of the room. Well, the program was clearly effective for her because it was she who actually opened the conference last year and welcomed all of the attendees. You just see the progress with these young people and it is worth all the work. It's important our funders and community partners know that," she concluded.
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Thank you,
Lucia Diaz, Chief Executive Officer
Mar Vista Family Center
5075 S. Slauson Avenue
Culver City, CA 90230
310.390.9607
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