82 Monterey County GIVES! 2024 mcgives.com DONate online mcgives.com Education & Youth Gil Basketball Academy Year Founded: 2009 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 0 paid, 60 volunteers Budget: $225,000 710-1499 gilbasketballacademy.com Big Idea: More than just a place to play a game, Gil Basketball Academy calls itself “the heartbeat of East Salinas.” The Academy’s 400 active members provide a sense of community while student-athletes complete high school and attend college. The GBA league gives children as young as 4 a way to play organized sports in their own neighborhood. This Big Idea supports the mentorship, character-building workshops, college field trips and scholarships shared with hundreds of Alisal Union and Salinas Union students through this volunteer effort. “Because of Gil Basketball Academy, I have learned to get out of my comfort zone. The world exchange trips to other countries have helped me experience different places around the world and connect and build bonds with people. It has given me the confidence to pursue my education and seek a profession in the medical field. I will be applying to college next year and all of my experience and volunteer work with GBA will definitely help me to be admitted.” -Alyssa A., 17 Girls Inc. of the Central Coast Year Founded: 1999 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 38 paid, 53 volunteers Budget: $1,544,177 772-0882 girlsinccc.org Big Idea: Girls Inc. of the Central Coast offers a thoughtful program of relevant and empowering life skills designed to support the development of seventh- and eighth-graders. Over 12 sessions, students learn about unhealthy substances, peer and media pressure, effective communication skills, stress management and strategies to combat bullying. This Big Idea supports today’s middle-schoolers by helping them identify their personal values and promoting healthy relationships with their peers and with their own inner voice. “I chose to be in Girls Inc. because it sounded like so much fun. I enjoyed all the activities and everything we did in the program. I learned what tobacco is, set goals for myself and how to handle the tough situations in my life. Even more important, I learned that I am a role model. I was able to take each lesson, learn from it and understand that I choose what is best for me. I am more confident; I am more outspoken and feel comfortable speaking up for myself and others. Because of Girls Inc. I know I can reach my goals and do anything I want!” -Isabella R., 12 Guitars Not Guns Year Founded: 2010 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 0 paid, 20 volunteers Budget: $40,000 601-9609 guitarsnotguns.org Big Idea: For nearly 15 years, Guitars Not Guns has provided guitars and lessons to underserved schools in Monterey County, providing the rigor and commitment of learning a new skill as an alternative to violence for foster children and youth facing challenges. Last year’s Monterey County Gives! campaign resulted in the donation of 350 acoustic guitars and guitar cases for Monterey County schools. This year’s Big Idea turns up the volume with a goal to purchase electric guitars and amps for area schools. “The recent donation of guitars to local school districts has greatly enhanced our music programs by offering numerous benefits to students, such as improved cognitive abilities. This donation has helped to ensure that students, regardless of their background or financial situation, have the opportunity to experience the joys and rewards of playing a musical instrument.” -Deneen Guss “My kids never get sick of this place.” -Meredith M., MY Museum Community Partnership for Youth Year Founded: 1992 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 51 paid, 382 volunteers Budget: $1,634,858 394-4279 cpy.org Big Idea: It’s no secret that the job market remains tough. So where can kids learn their first employment skills? Community Partnership for Youth offers its Big Idea to meet this need: the High School Leadership, Life Skills, and Job Training Program. This program teaches valuable life skills while delivering a tangible paycheck for high school mentors working at CPY. In the past fiscal year, 19 paid high school mentors worked 4,584 hours and earned $72,131. “The reason I come to CPY is to gain knowledge on how to be a leader. I have worked of this throughout the years and continue to, hoping that one day I become an experienced and respected leader. CPY provides me with an opportunity to work alongside many other experienced leaders and learn from them. What I have learned in CPY is how to behave around kids. I have realized that a positive attitude is necessary to pass that positive energy to kids. This is important in order to establish a positive relationship with them. By having good energy, I can hopefully lift a kid’s spirit. Although I now understand the importance of this, I continue to work on it to ensure I have a positive attitude every day.” -Rubi, 17 spotlight
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