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,

Have.  Have not.  There's not much in the middle these days.  Those children and families who "have not" continue to have less and less.  Less resources, less opportunities, less support. 

LIFT continues to be asked to expand its programs and services to more and more communities that have bigger and bigger gaps.  Children are falling through those gaps.  Their lives are being impacted by forces beyond their control.  We are doing our best to provide them with effective tools so they can deal with life's challenges and navigate through them successfully.

If you "have"...appreciate it.  if you "have much"...share a little. 

Warmest regards,

Richard Waxman        
Founder/President


Program Highlight:

Women Helping All People:
WHAP Scholastic Academy was founded in 2000 in Marin City with the mission to provide quality education for underserved children at Golden Gate Village Housing.  As part of this mission, WHAP Academy recently invited LIFT to deliver a 5 week pilot program to provide hands-on nutrition and Farm-to-Table education.

Abby Smith, LIFT's Senior Program Director and Nicole Ocampo, LIFT's Associate Director, were instrumental in delivering the program, providing the tools and education to help the  students make healthy nutritional choices and to share the information with their families.  In all, 12 students, ages 8-12, participated in the program with two older teens becoming nutrition interns.  Abby and Nicole worked with teachers on ways to continue the lessons after the five week pilot was complete.

As part of the program, the children’s knowledge of nutrition and eating habits were evaluated before and after.   It was found that after the five weeks, the children had changed their food choices to include less chips and sodas, were eager to try new foods and ate more fruits and vegetables.  This is the impact LIFT's programs have on the students we serve...teaching them healthy habits as children that will serve them for a lifetime.

In the future, WHAP will be part of a community teaching garden that will unite other programs that have previously been working independently.  LIFT is donating a greenhouse to the community project and will be providing the instructors and technical expertise.

Many of the groups that we serve do not have the finances to afford the full cost of the program.  LIFT fills in the gaps financially in order to serve as many children as possible.  This is where the financial support of community groups and individuals becomes so important.  The dollars raised go directly to providing programs.  We are always looking to do more in the communities we serve.  Please consider making a donation to help us continue to expand our reach to more and more deserving children and their families.

http://www.liftforteens.org/donate/

 
Intern Highlight:



LIFT Intern Elizabeth DaCosta

Elizabeth has had a love of working with children and adolescents for the past two decades. Before and during college, she taught dance to children and worked with many adolescent clients at a physical therapy clinic. After receiving her B.A. in Human Biodynamics from UC Berkeley, she completed a master’s level degree at Yale University to become a Physician Assistant. She subsequently spent 12 years refining her clinical skills by treating thousands of patients in medically underserved areas. Six of those years were spent at a pediatric otolaryngology clinic at UCSD, which strengthened here resolve to spend her career working with a children and adolescents. She also spent a year working in Los Angeles with the non-profit Free Arts For Abused Children, which provides art programs to children living in residential facilities. In this position she assisted the executive director with various administrative and fund raising tasks. She has volunteered as a Physician Assistant both nationally and internationally. Most recently, she joined the Flying Samaritans, providing medical services to the residents of Baja California, Mexico.
 
Elizabeth now wants to broaden her abilities to provide comprehensive services to children and adolescents in underserved areas. This will be accomplished by developing an expertise in public health policy and programs, and she plans to apply for a master’s degree in public health in the near future.
 
She felt inspired to join Lift-Levántate! as an intern after learning about the organization’s comprehensive and thoughtful approach to intervention and prevention of childhood obesity. She feels passionate about working with adolescents and their families to educate and empower them to make healthier choices.

Friends of LIFT:




Pictured above is Instructor Nicole Calmel's seventh and eighth grade Spanish students from Kent Middle School in Kentfield along with LIFT Founder/Executive Director, Richard Waxman.  In early May, the students held a mercado to raise money.  The mercado was a big success and the students decided to generously donate the proceeds to LIFT to help support our school garden programs and the underserved students who participate in them.  We thank them very much for their hard work, generosity and caring!  Salud!

Volunteer Opportunities:

-Event Coordinator
-Fundraisers
-Administrative office assistant  
-Volunteer and Intern coordinator

Please call Richard Waxman at 415-507-1564 if you are interested in volunteering!


 

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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.

Nutritious Bites:


Watermelon!  A sweet, refreshing summer favorite but did you know that it’s also very nutritious?  Watermelons are an excellent source of several vitamins: vitamin A, which helps maintain eye health and is an antioxidant; vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums; and vitamin B6, which helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy.  It also isa great source for lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight heart disease and several types of cancer — prostate cancer in particular.   

Watermelon supplies potassium, which helps muscle and nerve function, helps maintain the body’s proper electrolyte and acid-base balance, and helps lower the risk of high blood pressure and also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which can help maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.

Alone or in a fruit salad are the most common ways many of us eat watermelon but here’s another delicious way to enjoy watermelon on a hot summer day.

Watermelon Agua Fresca (Fresh Water)

• 3 cups cubed, seeded watermelon
• 1 1/2 cups water
• juice from 2-3 limes
• Natural sweetener, to taste

In a blender, puree the watermelon, then strain it through a fine sieve. In a pitcher, mix the strained juice with water. Add lime juice and natural sweetener to taste. Serve cold over ice.

 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