PopUps Return to Support Sacramento Youth During Winter School Break
Sierra Health Foundation and The Center have granted nearly $90,000 to fund 17 Youth and Community PopUps partners hosting 35 youth-focused events December 23, 2024, through January 5, 2025. Together, these trusted organizations will provide priority neighborhoods throughout Sacramento with fun activities and meaningful connections during the school winter break – a time when youth may have limited access to community engagement and youth-focused, supportive programming.
Youth and Community PopUp events take place throughout Sacramento, in neighborhoods that have been historically under-resourced and are most impacted by rising rates of gun violence. Trusted community organizations in the neighborhoods plan and host the events, which often include youth-focused activities, access to food and referrals to resources for families.
“Providing safe spaces for our young people is a key component of our healthy youth development and violence prevention efforts. As we relaunch this seasonal effort, we are in awe of and privileged to work closely with 17 local, trusted nonprofits who are always willing to do what is needed to support students. Once again, we come together to do this work while schools are on break because we know it is what young people – and their families and our communities – want and deserve.”
– Chet P. Hewitt, President and CEO
Sierra Health Foundation
How Youth and Community PopUps Began
The Center at Sierra Health Foundation launched Youth and Community PopUps in December 2018 following a number of fights involving youth at a local mall. Through conversations, The Center and community-based organizations realized that too many youth didn’t have access to constructive activities during weekend evenings.
Together, area nonprofits and The Center created a network of PopUp events for youth and families in Sacramento’s neighborhoods where the need was the highest. PopUp events have become a critical component of an ecosystem of programming to support, develop and protect youth.
From December 2018 to June 2022, a collaborative of up to 24 dedicated community-based organizations have hosted more than 2,200 in-person and virtual PopUp events with more than 100,000 attendees.
Funding
Sierra Health Foundation provided seed funding for Youth and Community PopUps in December 2018. The City of Sacramento invested in the program March 2019 through June 2022 as an effective violence prevention tactic and resource for youth engagement and workforce development. During periods of higher rates of gun violence, Sierra Health Foundation and The Center have invested in Summer 2022 and Winter 2024-2025 programming to ensure continued support for area youth during school breaks.
Youth and Community PopUp Partners
- Always Knocking
- Ball Out Academy, Inc.
- Filipino Community of Sacramento and Vicinity
- Greater Sacramento Urban League
- Hmong Youth and Parents United
- Iu Mien Community Services
- Latino Leadership Council, Inc.
- Liberty Towers
- Movement 4 Life
- Mutual Assistance Network
- ReIMAGINE Mack Road
- Roberts Family Development Center
- Rose Family Creative Empowerment Center
- Sacramento Native American Health Center
- Sol Collective
- Stanford Settlement, Inc.
- South Sacramento Christian Center / Simmons Community Center