Basementeer Spotlight: Real Options for City Kids
ABOUT REAL OPTIONS FOR CITY KIDS (R.O.C.K.)
Real Options for City Kids (R.O.C.K.) is an award-winning nonprofit organization serving youth in San Francisco’s Visitacion Valley community—a high crime, high violence neighborhood lacking in positive opportunities for youth. By providing academic support, sports and recreation, outdoor adventures, and enrichment activities, R.O.C.K. seeks to broaden horizons for children who would otherwise lack access to such resources and opportunities. For over 25 years, R.O.C.K. has kept racial equity and social justice at the core of its work in an attempt to level the playing field for every child they serve. Their year-round programming targets youth in grades K-12 and takes place in-school, after school, on weekends, and during the summer.
25 Years of R.O.C.K.
In celebration of 25 years of service in the San Francisco community, R.O.C.K. created the Stories that R.O.C.K. Campaign—a series of short videos highlighting the powerful narratives of R.O.C.K. alumni, staff, and supporters.
R.O.C.K.’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19
In response to the global pandemic and public health initiatives in San Francisco, R.O.C.K. was forced to quickly convene and adapt to the changing environment while still providing for the needs of their community. They pivoted their traditional programming to provide direct services (free meal distribution, technology assistance, and wellness checks for families) and virtual programming (literacy intervention, SFUSD teacher support, online enrichment classes). Additionally, R.O.C.K. hosted two full virtual summer camps for youth in grades K-8, which were covered on ABC 7 New Bay Area last month.
Expanding During the Pandemic
R.O.C.K.’s model has always been to go where the kids are—their schools. For many years, they have served as the lead nonprofit partner for two of the three public schools the community. Beginning this fall, R.O.C.K. will be the nonprofit partner for a third school site, Visitacion Valley Elementary School, making them the official nonprofit partner for all public schools in the area. Their commitment to this new partnership has not changed with the onset of COVID-19, in fact, the number of youth served will increase by 50% this fall to a total of 900 youth served annually!
Even during these challenging times, R.O.C.K. continues to provide positive opportunities and resources for children and families in the Visitacion Valley community. Do you want to support R.O.C.K.’s mission of keeping San Francisco kids healthy and safe? By making a contribution, you will enable R.O.C.K. to better serve more children for 25 more years.