Yuba-Sutter REACH coalition hears from community at town hall meetings

by Carmen Smith, Coordinator
Youth Development Community Action Coalition of Yuba-Sutter

After completing our youth community assessment, the Youth Development Community Action Coalition of Yuba-Sutter got to work organizing two town hall meetings to inform community members about the findings of our Yuba-Sutter Youth community profile.

About 75 people attended the first meeting on June 17 at the Allyn Scott Youth and Community Center in Marysville, and 90 attended the next day at the Yuba Sutter Mall. Ten young people presented the coalition’s objectives to assess the community, create the community profile and create a plan to increase supports and opportunities for young people in Yuba-Sutter. After their presentation, the group opened the forum for community members to give their input in four categories: current resources, barriers to resources, communications — ways for the coalition to connect with the community, and brave new ideas. After the lists were compiled on big pieces of paper, we posted them around the room and each person received five stickers to cast their votes about what was most important to them. We will compile the results this week and will incorporate them into the coalition’s implementation plan. Overall, the town hall meetings were a great success!

The YDCAC seeks to improve conditions for local youth and develop an action plan to make long-term changes for all Sutter County and Yuba County communities. The YDCAC, through the REACH Community Action planning grant from Sierra Health Foundation, will create nurturing, meaningful relationships between youth and adults, and begin a transformation within our community where youth are heard and able to participate in impacting their community.