Richmond Youth Unite for Mental Health
Richmond Youth Unite for Community Wellness
Save the date for Rich City Kickback by YES Nature to Neighborhoods (YES)! This annual event brings together Richmond nonprofits, elected officials, and community supporters to promote mental wellness.
At the heart of this event are young adults from YES's Teaching Racial Environmental Empowerment Series (TREES) program. Substance use among peers in this age group is nearly double that of older adults and more than three times that of younger teens. As young adults impacted by substance use and the War on Drugs in communities of color, TREES participants are advocating for greater availability of government-funded mental and emotional health resources as their primary means of support.
Rafael, who has been part of the TREES program since 2021 says the lessons he learned in TREES transformed his understanding of mental health and the strategies he uses now have become daily habits to support him.
"When I first joined TREES, I was basically drifting. I wasn't really active in pursuing anything" Rafael reflects.
But he took a chance, unsure of where it would lead. As he found his footing in the program, he became more active, more confident, and grateful for all the skills he gained through his work with TREES and the internships he secured through the program.
Rafael hopes this event will bridge the generational gap in awareness of the importance of mental health in the community and inspire city officials to become more vocal in connecting community members with available resources.
Event Details
- Date: November 4, 2023
- Time: 1:00 - 4:00 PM
- Location: Richmond City Recreation Complex
- Address: 3230 Macdonald Avenue Richmond, CA 94804
"Change is a very slow and gradual process. You can't force people to change, but we can offer alternate mental health supports like the ones we learned in the TREES program. It's about giving people the choice and the tools to heal” — Rafael.
“Our long-term goal is for TREES to inspire a paradigm shift in how we as a community approach wellness. We envision a future where TREES becomes a program that our city can learn from, replicate, and integrate into holistic wellness centers. We're here because young people have ideas and voices that need to be heard.” — Michelle Nguyen, Young Adult Program Supervising Coordinator at YES.
We hope you can attend and hear from YES participants to learn about how Richmond's youth can make the most of local emotional health resources.
The event will also feature inspiring talks, hands-on sessions, and performances from local artists and community supporters of YES — Urban Tilth, The Watershed Project, Young Women’s Freedom Center, and the Alcohol Marijuana Prescription Drug (AMPD) Coalition.
Other attendees include City of Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez; Mani Draper; Richard Muro-Salazar; and Michelle Nguyen, YES Young Adult Program Supervising Coordinator.
RSVP Today!
For more information about the Rich City Kickback, please visit the event website. If you require information on substance use in California, you can refer to the California Health Care Foundation's report.
