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The Forgotten International - California, USA
In 2009 with our own country's economic recession in full force, we decided that we cannot ignore the growing situation of poverty right here at home. As a result, The Forgotten International launched its "California Project" late in the year to address the needs of some of the poor in our own community. After a brainstorming session with representatives from local nonprofits who work daily with the Bay Area's poor and disadvantaged, we felt both enlightened and overwhelmed when we learned the scope and breadth of poverty within one of the world's largest economies.
For years 2010 and 2011, we ultimately decided to invest in the future of our state by applying our limited resources towards the education of our local students from disadvantaged backgrounds. With a high school diploma or a college degree in hand, these young people will not only have the power to change their own lives for the better, but have the opportunity to be leaders and models of success for others in their community. You can read about the good work being done by our local educators below.
We continue to explore avenues to get more involved in serving those in need in the Bay Area. In 2012, we will refocus our efforts and expand our work in the communities closest to us. We are seeking to create partnerships with local businesses and organizations to raise funds locally to give to charitable projects here at home. If you have information on a small community organization making a big impact, please contact us.
In October 2011, we were proud to work with Whole Foods Market in San Francisco through their Nickel for Nonprofits Program to raise funds and awareness about poverty issues. If you would like to partner with us to serve our Bay Area neighbors most in need, please contact us. Thank you!
The Programs We Support - California, USA
Leadership Public Schools - Richmond
Richmond, Californiawww.leadps.org
In 2010, a local high school teacher, Tyler Hester, at Leadership Public Schools in Richmond, California, reached out to us looking for help to purchase books for his incoming English class. Tyler teaches at a public charter school in a district where abuse, neglect and violence are everyday occurrences in the lives of its students. LPS is dedicated to motivating its students academically and supporting them emotionally to set their standards high with the ultimate goal of every student going to college after graduation. Nevertheless, books still cost money and schools everywhere are stretching every dollar. TFI believes in Tyler and in his students. We are proud to make an investment in their future with the donation of new books for each incoming student in Tyler's class. In 2010, Tyler's 9th Graders read "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne, and in 2011, the Freshmen read "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros. We wish the students at LPS continued success, and we thank Tyler for his dedication to these young people and their education!
San Francisco International High School
San Francisco, Californiawww.sfihs.com
In the Fall of 2009, a new high school opened in San Francisco to serve the older children of recent immigrants to the Bay Area. These teenagers would need intensive English language instruction, as well as the academic and cultural skills needed to adjust to their new surroundings. All the students speak little English, and up to 86% have come from a low-income background. San Francisco International High School is modeled after a similar program in New York City, and its methods are designed to support the needs of the newest members of our community to be successful in high school and beyond. SFIHS started with a Freshman class made up of young people from Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. At the end of their first semester, before the students left for Winter Break, TFI gave the incoming class their first American holiday party. Each student received a wrapped gift to open--a bilingual English dictionary in their first language--and the school received much needed ESL books and materials for their new library for all the students to use. Since opening its doors in 2009, SFIHS has found its footing and its students are thriving. We were glad to be there to see them take their first steps.
