We provide programs “without walls”...there are no barriers to participation.  Our multi-lingual, multi-cultural services are free to low income children and families and are delivered locally incorporating community resources.

We are proud to be a program “of” the community by recruiting, developing and engaging the skills of local residents to work with children and families within their own neighborhoods.

LIFT-Levántate mentors older teens from local high schools to be Peer Leaders, empowering them to be positive role models and make a true difference in the lives of younger children.

LIFT-Levántate focuses on:

• Low income children and families in underserved communities

• Those facing steeper cultural challenges

• Those at risk for Type-2 diabetes, obesity,  teen suicide and other health and wellness issues.

LIFT-Levántate Vision:

Our vision is that every at-risk child and family member in the communities we serve will lead a life of health, wealth and vitality.

LIFT-Levántate Mission:

Our mission is to educate and motivate children and families to engage in healthy activities.  We are specifically focused on proper nutrition, gardening, physical activity and positive life choices.

LIFT-Levántate Values:
 

 

Dear Friend,

Impact and Reach...two very important words in the LIFT vocabulary.  Impact is our ability to be a positive, contributing factor in a transformative experience to health and wellness for an individual, a family, a neighborhood or a community.  Reach is our ability to create that positive transformative experience for many individuals, many families, many neighborhoods and many communities.  LIFT believes both are important. 

Impact is our ability to educate, inspire and motivate children and families to believe in themselves, to advocate for healthy options, to make positive choices.  Impact is an overweight Latina pre-teen girl now asking for salads, its a Canal family having a nutritious breakfast together, it's a Marin City family remaking their traditional meals with healthy ingredients, some of which they grew in their own garden.  It's an afterschool program for elementary school students serving water with fruit instead of fruit juice with sugar or a middle and high school program offering Zumba, soccer, nutrition and gardening in addition to homework assistance.  It's a group of Latino Dads joining their wives and children in an outdoor group Zumba class to model healthy behaviors.  It's a Recreation Center adding non-competitive, non-skill based physical activities for their non-athletes.  It's a community committing to providing local access to healthy, affordable foods and implementing gardens in youth programs.

Reach is when these positive changes begin to gain momentum in many communities with cultural and geographic diversity.  When these changes are not school-specific, not zip code specific, not ethnically, culturally or economically specific.  Reach is when every seat in a bi-lingual diabetes prevention presentation is filled, when there are more days being added to afterschool programs because the current schedule doesn't accommodate all students interested in participating, when we have to provide multiple wellness workshops because one workshop won't fit everyone, when a health-challenged city in Southern California invites a Northern California-based organization to bring its program south, when a high risk, underserved community in San Jose sends an envelope of checks in amounts of $10, $15, and $25 asking for help.

LIFT provides high quality Impact.  We need your help to expand our Reach.  Please do not hesitate to click on the red Donate button to the left or the link below.

With your support, we will continue to make a positive difference!

www.liftforteens.org/donate/donate

Warmest regards,

Richard Waxman        
Founder/President


Program Highlight:

Canal Alliance is a comprehensive community resource center that develops self-sufficiency and leadership in Marin’s low-income immigrant populations through access to health and social services, youth development, economic security, and citizenship.  LIFT is honored to have been invited by Canal Alliance to begin offering our popular mix of enrichment activities to middle and high school students in their afterschool programs.  Program offerings include Zumba dance classes, nutrition education, cooking, gardening and soon, Capoeira, a Brazilian physical art form that combines elements of martial arts, dance, and music.



Beginning in April, the students at the Canal Alliance enjoyed their first experience engaging in the fitness and nutrition activities that LIFT instructors and interns had planned for them. Students in the Zumba class had their heart rate up for a solid hour as instructor Fernanda Cedeño led them in a dynamic dance workout. It was great to see Canal Alliance staff leaving their desks around the building to join the class! 



In our first nutrition class, students learned about the different nutrients our bodies need in order to be healthy. Nutrition Educator Abby Smith and Program Director Margaret Hershey led the students through several activities in which they identified nutrient rich foods. Students wrapped up the class by making and enjoying fruit smoothies with a high vitamin C content.  In last week's program, teens connected with "garden to table" education! After visiting the on-site garden to harvest basil plants, they prepared homemade pesto to use as a topping on their whole wheat pizza.

The students in the Nutrition class have learned about the latest version of the Food Pyramid and about ways in which they can increase the amount of nutrient rich foods in their diets. They have learned how to prepare healthy snacks such as baked quesadillas with homemade guacamole and mini pizzas with fresh pesto prepared with basil from the Canal Alliance garden.  As the program continues into the Summer and next Fall, we look forward to inspiring and supporting students in making healthy choices in their lives.
 
Board of Directors Highlight:

Cío Hernández , Founding Board Member

In addition to being a Founding Board Member for LIFT - Levántate!, Cío Hernández, MFT, is a leading advocate for youth and families in Marin.  Cio is the Licensed Mental Health Practitioner for Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, Community Health and Prevention Services. She works with communities to achieve their health needs, advocating for health equity issues and other community health needs as taught to her by local community members. She currently sits on the Institutional Review Board for Kaiser Foundation Research Institute, serves as the Chair for the First Five Marin Children and Families Commission, teaches Human Diversity and Law and Ethics at Dominican University, and runs a small private practice.

In her most important role as a mother, Cío enjoys learning from her eleven year-old son, finding time to be active, and being an auntie to her nephew and niece as well as her other “village” children. 

LIFT is fortunate to have such a dynamic leader on its board.  Our mission, vision and community partnerships have been informed and shaped by her experience, insights, intelligence and commitment to a healthy community.

 

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In This Issue:

Held on the 2nd Monday evening of each month at the Marin Health and Wellness Campus, this family program focuses on fun physical activities for youth that encourages them to turn off the TV, put down the video games and develop a love of active play.  We teach parents how to model healthy behaviors and create support structures at home.  After playing and learning we all enjoy a nutritious snack prepared by our partners from Marin Health and Human Services.

Friends of LIFT:

Our thanks to Anne McGurrin Kraft and other Friends of LIFT who have made personal donations in support of LIFT's programs that are matched by their employers.  This doubles their generous gifts and extends our reach to more underserved communities.  Does your company provide a charitable match program for tax-exempt 501c3 non-profit organizations like LIFT?


Nutritious Bites:

Green Smoothies

 Having trouble getting your kids to eat greens?  Or not too fond of them yourself?  Try a green smoothie!  Green smoothies are a delicious way to incorporate more greens into a healthy diet and kids really do love them too!  The combinations are only limited by your imagination and with summer fruits starting to appear in stores, there’s no better time to go green.  Just throw the ingredients into your blender and enjoy – for breakfast or any time of day.  Here  are a couple of recipes to get you started:

Strawberry-Banana-Romaine Smoothie
1 cup strawberries
2 bananas
½ bunch romaine
2 cups water

Kale-Strawberry-Peach
1 bunch green kale
1 pint strawberries
3 small peaches
2 cups water

 Donor Wish List:

We are constantly asked what supplies we could use or need funds for:

-Digital camera
-20 yoga mats
-Hula hoops
-SPARK PE training funds
-Garden supplies