SafeSpace Youth Action Board Newsletter October 2020

Look Out For:

In October:

• Pride Committee • Gardening Club , Fall Veggies • SYAB Book Club • Hillview Middle School Book Club: facilitated by alums

• Fundraising at the PA Farmers Market • Filming our QuaranTEEN Video Project • Virtual Presentations on campus

• Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsla: Kitchen take-over • Rock the Vote! • Virtual Halloween Costume Contest!

What Safespace means to us:

SafeSpace has been a place for me to rely on, to create change, and to do my part in de-stigmatizing mental health. It is so important to have open conversations about mental health and I have wanted to make a change ever since I was in middle school. SafeSpace has been my umbrella to make the change in the mental health community and be a youth advocate for everyone around me. -Savannah (12th grade)

SafeSpace is a welcoming community that is constantly moving forward and spreading its message. It reaches out to all sorts of people and is an opportunity to make friends with people of all ages and backgrounds. - Lucinda (9th grade)

Pride Committee!

The Pride Committee addresses an issue that I have always been very passionate about. Mental illness and suicide disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ youth, because of the struggles this community faces regarding identity and acceptance.

Many of my friends (and myself) identify as LGBTQ+, and have dealt with mental health issues as a result. I love leading the Pride Committee because I am serving my community, and working with passionate individuals who also feel strongly about intersectional mental health. It really is a great group working for an important cause.

Kai Doran, Senior

Understanding the Legacy Project:

The Legacy Project is all about leaving your own creative mark on SafeSpace and beyond. We’ve purchased several notebooks from the Brooklyn Art Library and their Sketchbook Project. They house the world’s largest museum of sketchbooks. We’ve divided up the notebooks into various themes, including: Our Stories, Messages of Hope, Letter to our Younger Selves, etc. Once the notebooks have been completed with drawings, writing, collages, paintings, or any other artistic/creative endeavor, they will be shipped back to New York to the museum, and to be digitized as well. Anyone in the world will be able to view our works of art, and we’ll be notified when/where in the world they digitally travel!

KITCHEN TAKE-OVER!

We are partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula to help them prepare over 2,000 meals per night by volunteering 2 nights this month at both locations: Redwood City and East Palo Alto!

Over 2,000 meals are prepared daily.

Please check out BGCP’s Community Dinners in the NEW YORK TIMES!

Little Library Fundraiser

We are fundraising to help the BGCP to install one of these Little Libraries in East Palo Alto! Look for us tabling outside of the Palo Alto Farmers Market this month!

We will collaborate on the design and style with the BGCP, decide together the book list to fill the library with, paint together and partake in the ceremony installation with the family who will cherish it for many years to come.

What are your feelings around going back to school?

I’m excited to go back to school because I miss being productive and seeing my peers. I’m sad that school is online because it feels less personal and I can barely work zoom. Nonetheless, I hope that this school year is better than the last and I wish everyone the best of luck. -Jane (11th grade)

I am excited to start learning and interacting with teachers again, but I am definitely nervous about compartmentalizing my schoolwork and the rest of my life. I will have to adapt to learn how to advocate for myself through virtual spaces. - Tessa (12th grade)

I am feeling anxious about school because it is all online and not how it has been in the past. I am looking forward to having more of a structured day and learning new things. I am happy I will have some kind of social interaction. It will be interesting to see how this new kind of learning works out. -Bela (10th grade)

I am pretty excited to get going back to school; I like having the ability to go back and replay lectures that I didn't understand, something I couldn't do previously. However it has been difficult to keep up as a lot of teachers have been assigning the same amount of work with less class time to understand the material. - Ryan (12th grade)

I have really mixed feelings about going back to school. It's really hard to feel super excited because of the virtual format but at the same time I'm really happy to get back in a routine! I am really interested to see how this year starts but also possible new opportunities it brings with this format. Overall, I am definitely feeling pretty anxious but ready to start! - Conor (12th grade)

Brookies (Brownie Cookies) Video

Recipe of the Month!

Ingredients

Cookie Layer: Brownie Layer:

½ cup butter, softened 1 cup white sugar

½ cup light brown sugar ½ cup butter, melted

¼ cup white sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs

1 egg ⅓ cup cocoa powder

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda ⅛ teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175ºC). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish
Beat softened butter, light brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a large bowl until creamy. Add 1 egg; beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Whisk 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda together in a bowl. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture until dough is combined. Stir chocolate chips into dough. Spread dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to cover completely.
Stir 1 cup white sugar, melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl; add 2 eggs and beat well. Mix cocoa powder into butter mixture until well-combined. Stir 1/2 cup flour, baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt into cocoa mixture until batter is combined. Pour brownie batter over cookie dough and spread to cover completely.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brookies comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

THIS MONTH'S PET EDITION:

On the right is my dog Joey and to the left is my new puppy Riggins. They are both very playful and love their toys!

-Maggie Purcell (10th grade)

Self Care Challenge of the Week

Do 5 Minutes of Meditation or Mindfulness! It can be difficult to get started, but try out the free version of Headspace or search for a beginner meditation on Youtube. Getting started is the hardest part, but there are so many resources to help!

In the Community

Giving Back

The Pride committee worked on homemade crafts (flower crowns, friendship bracelets, etc.) and set-up their own table outside of the Palo Alto Farmers Market to raise awareness for teen mental health and the LGBTQ community. They raised over $700 and all of the proceeds will go to the Trevor Project! The Trevor Project has no idea that a check and appreciation letter is on its way to their organization from our very own SafeSpace Pride Committee!

Rock the Vote

A non-profit organization that encourages young people to vote.

Savannah, Tessa, Reese, and Claire

Painting rocks for the community during our socially-distanced, outdoor event!

Rocks for the vote

SafeSpace members came together in September to paint rocks in celebration of Rock the Vote.

QuaranTEEN video project is underway! Filming begins this month!

Gardening Club!

Join the Safespace Gardening Club! Email annie@safespace.com to grow vegetables at Safespace in Menlo Park.

KCBS Radio Interview

Listen here! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BISWZ62583tl5NmvOwphZ3_9hMs81YAH/view?usp=sharing

SafeSpace is honored to provide a new home for Children's Health Council (CHC) Teen Wellness Committee program. CHC is a local leader in learning and mental health services for children, teens and young adults. CHC’s staff knows that SafeSpace places strong emphasis on the teen voice and appreciates our complete commitment to providing a space for teens with the goal of engaging, educating, and empowering youth to break the stigma around mental health. We at SafeSpace prepare young people to make the changes they want to see and be in their own family, campus and relationships. We value the mutual respect between our two organizations and are thankful for the support and partnership.

Crack the Wellness Code invites SafeSpace to facilitate a workshop

SafeSpace Youth Action Board member Kai Doran led a journaling workshop in collaboration with CWC! Check out their amazing upcoming programs here: youth preview page

May 2020

June 2020

SafeSpace Book Club

Join us for October!

SafeSpace's book club is a small group within the larger organization, where members can come together to read books about mental health and intersectional mental health. In reading these books together, myself and others have shared our own experiences with mental illness and recovery, while also enjoying productive discussions.

Reading is a way to explore new perspectives and to connect with the people in your life. It’s an incredible group!