August 2020 Newsletter
Town & Country Magazine Philanthropy Summit
We are so excited that our founders Camila and Matthew McConaughy were included in Town & Country Magazine’s Philanthropy Summit with a mission to spread hope, celebrate heroism, and better the world by effecting positive change!
We are so grateful to everyone who tuned in and so proud to share our 360 approach to our JKL afterschool fitness and wellness program, providing a safe place for our youth where they can learn the tools for a better life. During the summit, our very own Program Manager, Leon Clayborne, had a great conversation with JKL Alum from Animo Inglewood Charter High School in Los Angeles, Maria Gutierrez Watson!
Maria was recently featured in Town and Country’s Philanthropy Issue alongside Matthew and Camila. She has since graduated from UCLA and is now a teacher in Chicago. We are so touched to have had the opportunity to share the incredible work of our foundation and so proud of Maria for all of her accomplishments!
#TandCPhilanthropy
JKL Partners With Homeboy Industries
Homeboy’s overarching goal is to see individuals heal from trauma. Over their 30-year history, they have seen time and time again the way that new experiences outside of the neighborhood help their program participants along their journey of healing.
For most justice-involved and gang-involved youth that they’ve worked with, we know summer to be a particularly vulnerable time for street violence in the absence of access to what some kids experience as typical summer opportunities.
Homeboy leaders lead a variety of experiences throughout the year for program participants to experience life outside of their trauma and their neighborhoods. They aim to provide opportunities to learn in spaces one has not experienced before, to find serenity in spaces of nature, to process and reflect surrounded by beauty and art, and to grow confidence and imagination while in kinship and community with other participants. JKL is excited to be a part of their summer programming reaching more than 40 of their youth for a 6 week summer programming. We have been providing part of our JKL programming by offering their youth yoga, calisthenics classes, hip hop classes, nutrition demos and tips on managing anxiety. We are proud to be partnering with such an amazing organization!
What Are You Grateful For?
“I am grateful for this program and that I have the opportunity to be on a call with everyone and talk about myself and about how other people are doing. It is nice to remember that I am not the only person in the world. I appreciate this time I have to self-reflect about the decisions I have made.”
– Kiryana (Morse HS, San Diego)
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“I am grateful for all my teachers and administrators because of all the effort they’ve put in to reach out and communicate with their students and for all the leniency and understanding that they’ve had during this time.”
– Brandon (Huntington Park HS, Los Angeles)
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” am grateful for the people who are supporting me in this hard time that I am going through right now. It’s nice to have a support system.”
– Geneva Rushton (John Adams HS, Cleveland)
JKL Instructor Spotlight
Meet Cameron David, one of our amazing instructors from the JKL Program at Venice High School in Los Angeles! He has been busy this summer turning his passion for hiking into a soon to be nonprofit organization.
Cameron explains, “I started hiking years ago to get away from the city and work on my mental health and hiking helped me. When you are submerged in nature you are forced to be with yourself”. Cameron established “The Noir Nature Guide” after getting an overwhelming response from people who were curious about the hikes after he would post about them on social media.
The requests eventually turned into the Noir Nature Guide, a guided tour through the many mountains and trails in Southern California. The trips also include ice breakers, physical warmups, lunch, local history lessons and gratitude circles. You can catch Cameron leading 2-3 guided hikes a month. Be sure to check him out at @thee_noirnatureguide for more information.
Camila’s Tips: Camila’s Beet Hummus
This recipe is so easy to do, and so much better because it is homemade…
Most people don’t realize how easy it is to make your own hummus at home. Simply combine your ingredients in a food processor or blender, and serve. We promise you will get compliments from guests on how beautiful your spread looks!
Ingredients
• 2 cans chickpeas
• 1 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 cloves of garlic (large)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3 beets cooked (medium size)
Instructions
1. In food processor combine all ingredients and puree until creamy. If too thick, add a little water to get to desired consistency.
2. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with sliced almonds, feta cheese, thinly sliced scallions, and sliced radishes.
Enjoy! Beijos
– Camila
Full recipe on Women of Today »
Swag of the Month:
Bandana Now Available in Brown! Bobby Bandito rides again. Don’t you go ridin’ around town without one!