Since high schoolers often need volunteer hours in order to graduate, Youthwell provides resources to help connect teens and youth with nonprofit organizations that pique their interests while meeting their extracurricular requirements, Executive Director Rachael Steidl said.
“The idea is so that volunteering doesn’t become a checklist item. We know volunteering can improve stress and mental health—not when it’s done as an obligation, but something meaningful and it’s something you’re passionate about,” Steidl said.
Youthwell started in 2016 as a community collaborative, working with partner organizations to figure out better responses to family needs when it came to youth mental health.
“A big part of what Youthwell does is partnership in our community to make sure we’re leveraging resources available for families,” Steidl said.
Nearly eight years later, Youthwell now works with more than 60 community stakeholders to improve youth mental health; provides a resource directory to help people find treatment programs, crisis helplines, therapists, and aftercare resources; and hosts free virtual workshops for students ages 10 to 25, parents, and teachers to learn mental wellness tools.
“We have resource navigators that can meet with families to help them determine what services would be helpful for their youth,” Steidl said.
Along with providing the volunteer directory, Youthwell is recruiting Santa Maria high schoolers to sit on its Youth Advisory Board, she said.
“That’s a one-year internship, an opportunity to come learn how to do advocacy work and leadership work in youth mental wellness both on our campuses and in the community,” Steidl said. “I think it’s really beneficial for all students to have an internship at some point—whether it’s with our youth advisory board or another opportunity—because it’s a chance for students to learn more about themselves and what they are interested in. ... There’s just incredible benefits to volunteering and interning while you’re in high school.”
Students on the board will campaign on their campuses and in their communities to promote mental wellness and available resources. In November, they’ll help coordinate a youth summit, scheduled for Nov. 16, for students countywide where they will hear from panels of mental wellness experts and have breakout sessions with their peers.
Also in November, students will have the opportunity to hear from more than 20 Santa Barbara organizations about meaningful ways to volunteer, she added. From animal care to health and human services, this is a chance to see all of the different paths students can take.
“It’s giving lists, but also providing information so they can find the things that matter to them,” Steidl said.
Visit youthwell.org to find its list of volunteer opportunities, the Youth Advisory Board application, and additional mental wellness resources.
Highlights
• The city of Santa Maria is hosting a blood drive from noon to 4 p.m. on July 31 in the Vitalant bloodmobile in the parking lot between the lawn bowling green and the Paul Nelson Aquatics Center along South McClelland Street. While donations of all blood types are encouraged, donors with O-negative blood are especially needed, because O-negative red cells can be transfused to anyone. O-negative red blood cells are often used to help patients when there is no time to determine the patient’s blood type. According to Vitalant, blood donation is a community responsibility—donated blood can help a family member, a friend, a surgery patient, someone with cancer, a burn victim, or a newborn. Visit donors.vitalant.org to schedule an appointment or sign up as a donor. Bring a photo ID to the donation. Direct questions to Vitalant at (877) 258-4825 or to the city at (805) 925-0951, Ext. 2372.
• The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District announced the relaunch of the Landscape Equipment Electrification Fund (LEEF) program. The program will allocate $300,000 to businesses, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and public schools to trade in gasoline or diesel landscape equipment and purchase electric-powered equipment. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible organizations can receive up to $700 for chainsaws, trimmers, edgers, and brush cutters; $1,400 for leaf blowers and vacuums; $1,500 for walk-behind mowers; and $15,000 for ride-on and stand/sit mowers. Visit ourair.org/LEEFprogram for more information and links to application materials. Direct questions to [email protected].
Reach Staff Writer Taylor O’Connor at [email protected].
