Social Advocates for Youth's CEO, Anita Maldonado, Updates Sunrise on SAY's Recent Developments
Our guest speaker for April 1, 2021, was Anita Maldonado, CEO of Social Advocates for Youth (SAY). Anita has a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Kent State University, where she also taught Latino Studies. She has extensive experience leading nonprofit organizations of all sizes. She is also a member of the current class of Leadership Santa Rosa! Anita started as CEO of SAY on March 1, 2020, and worked for one and one-half weeks before they had to evacuate the kids because of Covid-19.
Anita showed us a video of the voices of some of Sonoma County’s vulnerable youth. The video included youth who had to leave their families because of gun violence, eviction, and parental rejection. These kids pointed out how wonderful it is to have a place to stay with people who care about them and provide them with emotional support. As one young man said: ‘My entire life is looking up’ as a result of SAY.
SAY is having its 50th anniversary! It was founded by legendary Sonoma County leaders who concluded that the high incarceration rate of runaway youth was unacceptable. In those days, running away from home was a crime and the children were taken to juvenile hall. Since 1971, SAY has worked every year with 3,000 children, youth, and families. It has served 60,000 children and youth! SAY’s core/pillar areas are crisis stabilization, counseling, housing, and careers. Its annual budget is $7,000,000! 78% of that budget is from contracts with local and state governments. The rest is earned through SAY’s relationships with local leaders and donors. SAY houses about 100 youth each night in four separate facilities; the SAY Finley Center, Tamayo Village, Coffeehouse Teen Shelter, and the newest addition, the Sky Family Cottage.
The 2020 (pre-Covid) Sonoma County point-in-time study showed that there are about 304 unaccompanied homeless youth between ages 12-24 each night. 37% of these homeless youth reported that physical, emotional, or sexual abuse led to their homelessness. 33% report trading drugs or sex for a place to stay, 31% say their safety was threatened in the past 30 days, and 33% identify as being LGBTQ. SAY also works with sex trafficking victims. We know there is a thoroughfare of trafficking from people outside Sonoma County along the 101/580 corridor.
Anita covered SAY’s involvement in all of the four pillar areas; Crises Stabilization (including street outreach, sex trafficking outreach, and community basic housing), counseling (therapy, grief services, and school-based mental health), housing, and careers (John Jordan Career Hub, college and career readiness, and tattoo removal). The Pandemic has changed SAY’s delivery of services, but it continues to service Sonoma County’s youth in other ways, teaching and utilizing social distancing, improved hygiene, telehealth services, and new methods of raising money. SAY will be holding a 50th Birthday Cavalcade, including a drive-through of the main facility with entertainment from the Ladies of Perpetual Indulgence and Burning Man, and refreshments from Wicked Slush! SAY also raised $360,000 in its “340 Campaign,” proving that Sonoma County continues its strong support of this great organization.
Anita offered special thanks to Sunrise member and past president Steve Worthen, who is an honorary board member and former Chairman of the Board of SAY during its critical period of construction of the Dream Center. And, of course, Leroy Carlenzoli introduced himself as the Dream Center’s civil engineer and the Coffeehouse’s chief handyman! Leroy and Steve pointed out that Sunrise is a long-term supporter of SAY. Thank you so much, Anita, for the wonderful and fact-filled presentation. We know you will keep SAY working hard to fill this very important role in Sonoma County. Keep up the good work and let us know what we can do for you!
