Los Altos kicks off new year of compassion and action for youth

The Los Altos Auxiliary volunteers are excited to begin a new program year serving foster youth, age 11-18, living at Sycamores’ El Nido residential campus in Altadena. Since 1993 the volunteer group has provided financial and loving support to the youth living on campus.

Los Altos President Laurie Rodli stated, "Working with Sycamores' outstanding professional staff, we complement their therapeutic work with carefully created fun, compassionate and developmental activities that the youth may miss being away from a family. Through our caring gestures we provide an extra personal touch of home to the foster youth at Sycamores. We help to expand the boys’ world by providing new experiences with on-campus activities, off-campus outings, and one-to-one interactions with the youth. We enrich campus life and enhance the work Sycamores staff does, reinforcing for the boys that they are seen, they matter, and they are valued. It is extremely impactful for the youth to know that volunteers care enough about their wellbeing to do so much for them.”

Los Altos members support the foster youth through “hands-on” activities, including hand-making fleece blankets for all the youth, hosting ice cream socials, baking cupcakes and delivering gift cards for the youths’ birthdays, providing food truck dinners and video game nights, making Halloween and Easter bags for each boy on campus, and fulfilling Holiday wish lists with personally selected presents. Additionally, Los Altos funds outings for the youth, helping them to develop public socialization skills and providing them with fun entertaining experiences.

With funds raised from both the Los Altos members and Los Altos supporters in the community, the group also enhances life at El Nido by funding large scale campus improvements. Previous Los Altos projects include an on-campus library, computer stations, silk-screening equipment, and an art center. Other Los Altos funded upgrades have included remodeled bathrooms and dining room, outdoor landscaping, and an outdoor entertainment area.

Sycamores President and CEO Debra Manners said, “The volunteer activities and other support we receive from the Los Altos Auxiliary – from the cupcakes they bake to their financial support for major campus projects – all contribute to enhancing campus life for the foster youth at El Nido. We are so grateful for their service and dedication to helping the boys create a better life.”

Women interested in learning more about Los Altos can visit the group’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LosAltosAuxiliary or contact Los Altos at https://www.losaltosauxiliary.org/contact