Spring in Our Step: Annual Report

The late winter storms and early spring rains have given way to a full river, a blossoming array of budding trees, busy bees and our sights set high for a great season of continuing our wok with the youth in California.

 

As the seasons start to shift again we reflect back on our last years goals and accomplishments and realize that none of it would be possible without the support of all of you. 

 

We've just released our latest Annual Report and wanted to share it with you, so you could see what your contributions and belief in our work can help us accomplish. 

 

We're Guidestar Platinum!

Great news! Sacred Rok earned the 2018 Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information.   https://www.guidestar.org/profile/80-0440822

We’re proud to use GuideStar Platinum to share our full and complete story with the world. To reach the Platinum level, we added extensive information to our Nonprofit Profile: basic contact and organizational information; in-depth financial information; quantitative information about goals, strategies, and progress toward our mission. 

We encourage other nonprofits to take advantage of GuideStar Platinum to share key metrics with the world and highlight the changes you’re making.  To learn more about GuideStar, watch their short video. 

- Nancy Goodban, Board Chair

Ron Kauk Talks at Google

As we all continue to work together to share our message and commitment to education nature’s way, Ron was invited to talk at Google headquarters in Mountain View.

 Ron shared his 45 years of climbing experience in the World Heritage Site of Yosemite National Park.

 The language we are working on with Sacred Rok is to interpret nature as the healer and the inspiration of the great remembering of our connection to our DNA lineage from the beginning of time.

 The message that Ron wants to convey to the world is to help our kids find a foundation with the earth and the beauty that comes from that sense of place, and belonging to the natural web of life.

 It was an honor to be supported by Google to share this story.

Please follow the link to view the talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zeO1WXdOGs

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE NEW YEAR

As we begin the new year, I wanted to express my appreciation for your continued support of Sacred Rok’s mission.  It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 9 years since we took our first camping trip with a small group of foster youth from Merced and started creating our circle of those who appreciate education, nature’s way. 

With your investment, we have expanded our work to include young people involved with Merced Probation as well as youth-serving community organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, the Merced Youth Council, Uplift Family Services, and others.  And, with your support, we have found ways of staying connected with young adults who are no longer with these services.

One of the young men who we worked closely with while in probation has continued to come up to Yosemite.  We have been working together through mutual respect to promote our common understanding of nature as a healing place.  This has proven the potential of a long-term relationship. While incarcerated he joined Sacred Rok in over 13 trips, and now he continues to work with us, helping us to shape our message. 

In his own words, “Life is too short to be sitting in a cell for the rest of your life.  It might be a slow progress but if one kid changes, he tells his friends, and then they are interested in it.  I was talking to a friend who was having trouble and ready to give up on life, and I told him that I’ll go on a hike with him in Yosemite, and he’ll change his mind.” 

Here is a picture from several days ago getting some spring water.  The water has provided key significance about the flow of life and has brought meaning to appreciating the elements of nature.

Sincerely,

Ron Kauk - Executive Director