A few weeks back we were lucky to host another fantastic community group at our Great Western Power Co. gym and we just heard back from the group that came. The group, OASES is a community group that has a clear mission to "empower youth who have limited resources, particularly those in the Asian and Pacific Islander communities of Oakland, to maximize their potential through educational services and social support. "

They came to our GWPC location for a day of climbing and fun and by the sounds of things, both of those goals were completely met, and surpassed. Here's what they had to say back to us:

Thank you, Great Western Power Company for helping to organize and facilitate such a wonderful Rock Climbing adventure for our girls sports program at OASES! The gym staff was incredibly welcoming, patient, and supportive working with the girls. Of the 18 girls who climbed, only a few had experienced rock-climbing before. In the days leading up to the fieldtrip, there was a huge range of emotions within our group: some girls were so excited and counted down the days, while others grew more and more afraid and intimidated. Even though many girls were frightened, the atmosphere of the gym was laid-back enough that all of the girls felt confident to climb a few routes, and many made it to the top! By the end, all of the girls wanted to stay longer, especially those who had been the most afraid!

The fieldtrip to GWPC was the highlight of our semester working with girls in sports. It offered our students a chance to succeed individually and to be supportive as a team. For our students who rarely venture outside of Oakland Chinatown, going to a rock-climbing gym is a unique opportunity that we are all grateful to be a part of.

In our students’ words:

“It was the best part when I reach to the top.” -Tina, 3rd grade

“People inspired me to go higher and I did.” -Hillari, 5th grade

“It was pretty scary when I touched the rocks, but I wasn’t so scared after I tried it.” -Theresa, 4th grade

“The best part is climbing the rock.” -- Cecilia, 3rd grade.

Thank you GWPC!!!

Thank You everyone at OASES. We hope you continue to make us part of your progam's future plans!

Labels: Community Group, Great Western Power Co., kids, OASES, Testimonial

Once a year at Great Western Power Co. we host a community group that includes students from Corpus Christi. They come after looking forward to the trip all year, and each year the next batch of students looks forward to the same trip. Recently, the waiting paid off and they got their time at GWPC, we were lucky enough to hear from teacher, and member, Marea Palmer-Loh about what it means to them, and why they do it.

Here's what she had to say as to why she brings her kids to GWPC each and every year:

"I love climbing with kids at the Great Western Power Co. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable, and they make sure that the experience is safe and fun! Rock climbing is a great way to teach children self-esteem and gives them a sense of accomplishment. I love climbing myself, so it's particularly nice to be able to share that love with children in such a supportive environment."

At any rate, thanks for making us a part of your year, thanks for a great trip, and we're looking forward to seeing you all next year!

Labels: Community Group, Great Western Power Co., GWPC, Testimonial

Diablo Rock Gym recently saw a community group come through it's doors and by all accounts it looks like everything went perfectly. The group was called RES Success, or Redefining Educational Services and after their visit they were nice enough to send over a few photos and a card. We were lucky to have you guys.

Here's a little bit more about RES Success:

For close to two decades, RES SUCCESS (Redefining Educational Services) has provided developmentally disabled individuals with a safe, supportive, and beautiful environment in which to learn and grow. We believe passionately that every person, regardless of how they were born, deserves to lead a fulfilling life and reach their own personal potential.

Our multiple locations in Northern California provide specially-designed behavioral modification and community inclusion programs in an exceptional environment. Students in our day programs participate in a variety of enriching experiences, such as attending classes at Diablo Valley College, preparing for meaningful employment, and participating in some of the diverse activities that the Bay Area has to offer like the Museum of Modern Art, the local farmer's market, or a game of bocce ball.

RES SUCCESS uses a clinically proven model of care that helps students work towards a common goal of independence and self reliance. Our successful approach also provides significant savings to the State of California.

Thanks again to everyone, we hope to have you again in the future!

Labels: Community Group, Diablo Rock Gym, Groups, kids, RES Success, Testimonial

Here's a quick one about a recent community group that we were lucky enough to spend the day with at our Great Western Power Co. location, the Davis Street Family Resource Center. In the first year of opening, GWPC has actually invited a number of community groups that are based in and around the Oakland area to visit the gym at a reduced rate. Doing this, has allowed many underprivileged and at-risk kids to experience climbing for the first time. A few weeks ago, the Davis Street Family Resource Center stopped in and had an event and a great time.

After their visit, they were nice enough to send back a little letter about the time they spent in our gym, and as always, we love hearing back from the groups we host. Here's what Alicia Ohs, their Lead Prevention Specialist had to say:

"At Davis Street Family Resource Center, we've taken two field trips to Great Western Power Company. As part of our Alcohol and Drug Prevention Programs, climbing gives our students a lesson in trust and respect that they don't learn anywhere else. It's an amazing opportunity to try on a new 'high' that offers communication, teamwork, adrenaline, and fun. GWPC has been unbelievably supportive and helpful in this process to expose a new generation of youth to the benefits of climbing." - Alicia Ohs Lead Prevention Specialist

Thanks again, and we hope to see you again sometime in the future!

Labels: Community Group, Great Western Power Co., GWPC, kids, Testimonial

Today brings some good news and a great testimonial for our Pipeworks Gym. We here at Touchstone Climbing like to post these letters of testimonial just to give an additional little thanks to those that are thanking us.

Cara Ryan, who has been working at Women's Empowerment for the last 10 months, wrote in and let us know exactly how coming and climbing at our gyms affected each and everyone that took part in it. Check out her letter to us, and again, thank you for all of our great community groups that come in, we love having you.

Dear Pipeworks Gym,

I have spent the last ten months working at Womenʼs Empowerment. I am here through a one-year post graduate volunteer program, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. One of my responsibilities here at Womenʼs Empowerment has been taking our clients to your gym every Friday morning. I know that looking back on this year my Friday mornings at Pipeworks will be one of my fondest memories.

It has been a pleasure watching the women become more physically fit. One of our clients used to exercise faithfully. She was very health conscious and used to belong to a local gym. However, when she left her abusive partner, she became homeless and could no longer afford a gym membership. By the time she graduated from our program she seemed like a different woman. Her body was leaner and her muscles stronger, but more noticeable was her vastly improved self-confidence. I know that this was in large part due to her time at your gym.

Other Womenʼs Empowerment clients who come to Pipeworks cannot work out as strenuously. Their bodies are weak from years on the streets, past addictions, and age. But spending time at Pipeworks is special for them as well. The opportunity to come to one of the nicest gyms in Sacramento and to be treated exactly the same as paying clients has reminded them of their value and worth.

Two women who accompanied me to Pipeworks regularly one session developed a valuable friendship. They had never talked to each other in class, but both liked to work out every Friday. For them, Pipeworks was a sanctuary away from the drama of the streets surrounding Loaves & Fishes. Every Friday we would stretch, do sit-ups and crunches, exercise on a few machines, and then the two women would spend the last fifteen minutes in the sauna. This was their favorite part of the morning. In the sauna they would talk about their recovery and offer each other support and advice. They felt comfortable offering each other this support in the sauna because it was a peaceful, quiet, and safe space.

By giving Womenʼs Empowermentʼs students the chance to workout at your gym on Friday mornings, you have provided them with stronger, healthier bodies, but you also have provided them with a safe place to build self-confidence and friendships.

Sincerely,

Cara Ryan

Labels: Community Group, Sacramento Pipeworks, Testimonial, Women's Empowerment

This is a great week for testimonials about all of our gyms, first we heard back from the Seneca Center about our Great Western Power Co. gym, and now today, we get a testimonial back from the Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) program that came to our Mission Cliffs gym with students from both the 4th and 5th grades.

BACR is an organization that "promotes the healthy development of individuals, families and communities through direct services, volunteerism, and partnerships in the San Francisco Bay Area." They brought their kids and here is what they had to say:

Mission Cliffs is fantastic for school groups. I was fortunate enough to bring 4th and 5th grade students here as a reward for homework completion and the students could not stop talking about the trip. I am always pleased to expose my students to activities which they may normally not encounter outside of school. The staff were very diligent in ensuring that the students understood the rules and also had fun in the process. I would definitely recommend this as a field trip for other school groups. Carlos Almendarez Project Director

Thanks Carlos, and we hope to see you and your students back again in the near future.

(image via BACRsf on Flickr)

Labels: BACR, Charity, Children, Events, mission cliffs, Students, Testimonial, Youth Group

This past December, Berkeley Ironworks was happy to host a group of four students from King Middle School and it just recently came to our attention that they put up a great testimonial to the outing on the Hayward Unified School District website.

The four students that were selected for the day trip were chosen "by making commitments towards positive change as students and citizens of their school and community." They all got the full lay of the land once inside Berkeley Ironworks and all showed some great promise on the climbing walls.

At any rate, head over and check out the testimonial on their site. I'm sure we'll be playing host to other events like this in the future, so stay tuned.

Labels: Berkeley Ironworks, climbing, Education, Hayward California, Testimonial, Unified school district