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Friday, July 30, 2010
Update: VIBE Youth Lounge gains funding and support
by Casey Kirk, published on June 4, 2009 at 6:06PM
Storyline: Sacramento Events
Community Tags: business christina giffin culture People rop steve cohn teenagers urban youth lounge vibe volunteer youth
On Wednesday night, members of the VIBE foundation's Youth Leadership Board met at their 3,000 square-foot future lounge site, a building donated to them by the Sacramento Housing Redevelopment Agency, to discuss their recent accomplishments and funding plans.
The youth lounge, which is scheduled to open in August, aims to provide a safe and fun environment conducive to the success of its youth members. In addition to after-school tutoring, the lounge will offer a game area and career center with a network of resources to help teens find jobs, internships and apprenticeships.
VIBE is an all-volunteer organization, and the entirety of its fundraising efforts have been conducted by the VIBE Youth Leadership Board, composed of around 15 teens. Christina Giffin has been serving as the adult project lead and as an adviser to the youth that has been overseeing the project and lending a hand or guidance wherever needed.
For the past two years, Giffin and the youth board have been collaborating on research, creating a business plan and meeting with people who will play a role in the creation of the lounge.
"During this time, Vibe has remained low-profile because we wanted a strong and compelling final product to showcase to the community," Giffin said.
At Wednesday's meeting, Chair David Schenirer reminded the Youth Leadership Board that their project is "revolutionary" and is unique to the entire nation in that the model was dreamt up and is being executed by youth.
"I think the thing that impresses me the most about VIBE is the attitude of the youth involved. Their dedication to an idea and their goal sets an example for youth everywhere," said Ben Wangerg, a Youth Aide for the Sacramento County Office of Education who is coordinating the Regional Opportunity Program project with VIBE.
As a way to cut costs once the lounge is open, around 75 teen employees per year will be paid with school credit through ROP credits instead of actual paychecks.
While it is undoubtedly a hard time in the economy to secure funding for any type of project, the lounge has still gained momentum and has begun to catch the eye of community members, including Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn, who is helping to get the word out about the lounge.
Scheduled for a soft opening in August, the VIBE Youth Leadership Board is working diligently to hammer out the final details in the coming months.
The teens' dedication to the lounge is paying off. The foundation was recently granted a $10,000 check from Wells Fargo that will be given to them by month's end, a huge accomplishment for the teens who have been left to their own devices to secure funding.
They will be continuing fundraising efforts in the coming months through their capital campaign, with a goal of raising $500,000 by December of this year.
On Monday, June 15, the VIBE foundation will be holding a meeting and delivering a presentation to potential backers. Invitations to the meeting have been sent to various organizations, philanthropists and people who may be able to contribute to the lounge's financial needs.
To shave costs, a network of adults has been contacted to volunteer time and services, including community members like Peter Castles of the Hoyt Company, who will be assisting with marketing and public relations. Other adult volunteers will include contractors, web designers and artists for their planned July participation in Downtown's Second Saturday Art Walk.
The tentative business hours for the lounge are 4-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday and 5-10 p.m. Saturday. These hours allow teens to be home before the city's mandated 10 p.m. curfew on weekdays and time to get to the center after school gets out.
The VIBE Urban Lounge will be located at 1725 K St. For more information, visit thevibefoundation.org or e-mail Christina Giffin at christina@thevibefoundation.org
The graphics above are architectural renderings of the proposed lounge, created by designers Stantec and Mas Mojica
The group photo is of the VIBE Youth Leadership Board.
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As a prominent African American political leader, who I will not disclose the name of stated, after they stopped laughing, "this is a bunch white prep school kids and they will have no impact on disenfranchised youth." Well one look at photo 4 surely supports that statement.
Sadly, I agree. This "lounge" seems to have been inspired for two reasons only, A: It is an election year and Sr. wants street cred and appear to be a youth advocate, and Jr. wants to pad his resume to Stanford and Yale.
I can guarantee you one thing...private donations may not be hard to find. I will bet $5 bucks that donations start coming out of the woodwork as the election cycle heats up. Developers and lobbyists who want to own Shinerer's vote on the council should he be elected.
The sad part of this is that the money the City is spending could have provided more youth services through the Boys & Girls Club and other youth programs that are truly effective.
I think you are completely ignorant in your comments about VIBE and the Schenirer family. You have no credential to talk smack about what you think the VIBE is going to represent. VIBE is open for youths ALL OVER Sacramento, including the "disenfranchised youth."
VIBE has gone to meetings with youths of all races, and financial backgrounds to promote VIBE and what it has to represent for Sacramento.
The City of Sacramento is NOT spending money on Vibe, but if they were to, I think it would be an extremely positive thing for midtown, and the youths in Sacramento.
Clearly, you're alone in life-- come to Vibe, even you'll be welcome.
1) If you have any LOGICAL concerns with VIBE, David and I will be more than happy to meet with you. Having said that, your incredibly false bantering on this site is unnecessary, unless you are simply trying to prove your case as a fool.
2) VIBE was created under the Sacramento Youth Commission, of which Jay Schenirer has no control.
3) To say that Ben Wangerg "runs" VIBE only furthers your persona as an ill-informed critic. Although Ben did great work representing SCOE on the VIBE Board, he has not been a part of the organization for over six months.
4) Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson has absolutely no involvement in VIBE, other than being a supporter. And even if he did, are you proposing that would be a bad thing? Are mayors not supposed to support local youth lead non-profits?
5) The City of Sacramento has zero involvement in VIBE, other than being supporters, so your wrong again. (common theme?)
6) "The senior Shinerer is a close Johnson ally who Johnson is pushing for City Council to have more votes on the council." REALLY? thats funny. If this were true, you would think Mayor Johnson would have endorsed him huh?
7) learn how to spell SCHENIRER before you attempt to falsify.
I look forward to speaking with you in the future.
1st Thing is your way off bases about the Schenirer family. I know Jay and David personally, if you ever met this to wonderful people you would say other wise. 2nd with or without the Vibe center Jay Schenirer has been a youth advocate for disenfranchised youth and youth in a whole in the Sacramento Community. 3rd Developers and lobbyists who want to own Shinerer's vote. NOT going to happen, Jay is an independent person and thinks for himself, and is not swayed by other people. Lets talk about this is a bunch white prep school kids and they will have no impact on disenfranchised youth. WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU SAY something so belittling about youth that are making a difference in their community and Sacramento. Clearly you have no life. AND TO THE prominent African American political leader WHY don 't you get off your lazy ass and be a man or woman enough to being your concern to the Schenirer family. They would be more then happy to speak with you. 4th David could make it to Standford or Yale on his own and is not padding his resume. PLUS HE'S NOT EVEN GOING TO EITHER OF THOSE SCHOOL. AT LEAST HE COULD MAKE IT INTO THOSE SCHOOL. UNLIKE YOURSELF. IF YOU EVEN WENT TO COLLEGE. Youth is actually something that he really cares about as well as his community. and to the prominent African American political leader WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP THE DISENFRANCHISED YOUTH. SURE HAVEN'T SEEN YOUR NAME INT HE PAPER ABOUT DOING ANYTHING FOR US. and YES YOU FOOL... I am BLACK. This family has been helping disenfranchised youth for years. so before you start talking shit about them get to know them first. i have known this family for 6 yrs personally and they have been a great help to me and the Sacramento disenfranchised youth. AND IF YOU are MAN OR WOMAN ENOUGH OR HAVE THE BALLS I WOULD BE MORE THEN HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU IN PERSON.