Soy

On a Monday in mid-April, a handful of students piled into a couple of cars in Costa Mesa and headed north. For some of the high schoolers it was their first time outside Orange County. They were on a trip with Save Our Youth, or SOY, the nonprofit that boosts education and combats violence for minority students on the Westside of Costa Mesa. After a three-hour drive, they arrived at UC Santa Barbara where a student took them on a personal tour. "He didn't just show us around, he explained some signification places of the school and what they had to offer," said Ricky Herrera, a junior from Estancia High School.

The board of directors for Save Our Youth will honor three people during an anniversary event later this month. The Costa Mesa-based charity commonly known as SOY, which aims to reduce violence among youths, plans to give awards to Joe Erickson, Carmen Barrios and Ivan Calderon during its fifth annual fiesta on April 26 at Halecrest Park in Costa Mesa. This year's fiesta also commemorates SOY's 20th anniversary. Erickson is a former Costa Mesa mayor and original SOY board member.

Save Our Youth is ready to celebrate another year of helping students succeed with all the trappings of a good party: margaritas, delicious food and an inspiring story. SOY is hosting its fourth annual Fiesta on Thursday evening to celebrate helping students on Costa Mesa's Westside raise their grades, go to college and stay out of trouble. "It's a celebration of SOY," said Mary Cappellini, the event coordinator. SOY was created in 1993 in response to escalating gang problems on the Westside.

Deirdre Newman When Trevor Murphy was in the Peace Corps in Tanzania, he had a side gig leading tours up Mt. Kilimanjaro. His gig Friday night -- playing the guitar and singing on stage at Rea Elementary School -- was just as nerve-wracking, he said. Murphy is the new director of Save Our Youth, an after-school program that offers recreational, social, academic and health and fitness activities for youth ages 11 to 17. The open house and talent showcase on Friday was designed to introduce him to the community and give SOY members a chance to show off their performing arts and music skills.

Save Our Youth lost a large part of its heart earlier this month when its longtime executive director resigned for a new gig at the Boys and Girls Club of San Juan Capistrano. Oscar Santoyo did everything to inspire youth at the Costa Mesa nonprofit over the last 10 years. He urged them to accomplish goals, including going to college, and he provided them incentives. Among the more well-known incentives he game them was his hair. Every year, Santoyo told the teens at the center that if they earned higher grade point averages, he would let them shave and dye his head however they wished.

In the 10th grade, after school and cross country practice, I would walk two miles past my home, the neighborhood market and my best friend's house. My destination was a center called Save Our Youth in Costa Mesa. This center was a break from my busy home. My home was always too crowded, and I didn't have a place to focus and do my homework. Even though I would come home after dinner, my mother understood and would serve me dinner after she had served dinner to my six siblings and my father.

A Newport Beach man's painted impression of his wife's Jewish cooking won him first place in the professional category at a recent Jewish art competition. Max Yamada placed first in the My Jewish Journey contest at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County for his painting "Jo's Gefilte Fish. " The painting, created with a painting knife, reflects Yamada's culinary Jewish journey by showing his wife, Jolyn Yamada, preparing a gefilte fish meal. For the painting, Yamada took a photo of his wife making the food.

No one in Juan Miguel's family had ever gone to college, but he knew he would. He just needed outside help with learning how to apply and which classes to take to get into college. As a sophomore at Estancia High School, he joined the academic program at Save Our Youth (SOY) and received the guidance and encouragement he needed to push himself to excel and take advanced classes. SOY even helped him financially by rewarding him for good grades, which also made him a more competitive college applicant.

Despite ongoing financial concerns, Save Our Youth on Friday night welcomed students back for another year and showed parents that the organization still has a lot to offer. "We aren't going anywhere and we see the need from the community," said Cesar Cappellini, chairman of the Costa Mesa-based nonprofit. More than a dozen parents came out for SOY's first Back to School Night to tour its facilities on the Rea Elementary School campus. They learned about its tutoring and academic offerings, fitness and dance programs, and art and music lessons.

She never thought she would return to the place that gave back so much to her and to the Costa Mesa community, but for Angel Aragon some things were just meant to be. "The last time I was here was in 1997," said the 34-year-old Costa Mesa resident about the nonprofit organization Save Our Youth's facility behind Rea Elementary School. "I didn't know this place still existed. " Before she knew it, Aragon was accompanied by her husband, children and about 60 volunteers from the National League of Young Men and helped the youth gang prevention program repaint their office and move furniture Saturday morning.

On a Monday in mid-April, a handful of students piled into a couple of cars in Costa Mesa and headed north. For some of the high schoolers it was their first time outside Orange County. They were on a trip with Save Our Youth, or SOY, the nonprofit that boosts education and combats violence for minority students on the Westside of Costa Mesa. After a three-hour drive, they arrived at UC Santa Barbara where a student took them on a personal tour. "He didn't just show us around, he explained some signification places of the school and what they had to offer," said Ricky Herrera, a junior from Estancia High School.

The board of directors for Save Our Youth will honor three people during an anniversary event later this month. The Costa Mesa-based charity commonly known as SOY, which aims to reduce violence among youths, plans to give awards to Joe Erickson, Carmen Barrios and Ivan Calderon during its fifth annual fiesta on April 26 at Halecrest Park in Costa Mesa. This year's fiesta also commemorates SOY's 20th anniversary. Erickson is a former Costa Mesa mayor and original SOY board member.

Save Our Youth has received a challenge grant donor who will match, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000. The donor's grant aims to encourage sponsorships for SOY's annual Fiesta, which this year celebrates the Costa Mesa-based nonprofit's 20th anniversary helping area youth. The fifth annual Fiesta will be at Halecrest Park, 3107 Killybrooke Lane, Costa Mesa, on April 26. The event is SOY's largest fundraiser of the year. Sponsorships start at $250. The donated funds will be used toward SOY's youth academic and arts programs, as well as its university exploration trip for 14 college-bound high school juniors.

She never thought she would return to the place that gave back so much to her and to the Costa Mesa community, but for Angel Aragon some things were just meant to be. "The last time I was here was in 1997," said the 34-year-old Costa Mesa resident about the nonprofit organization Save Our Youth's facility behind Rea Elementary School. "I didn't know this place still existed. " Before she knew it, Aragon was accompanied by her husband, children and about 60 volunteers from the National League of Young Men and helped the youth gang prevention program repaint their office and move furniture Saturday morning.

In the 10th grade, after school and cross country practice, I would walk two miles past my home, the neighborhood market and my best friend's house. My destination was a center called Save Our Youth in Costa Mesa. This center was a break from my busy home. My home was always too crowded, and I didn't have a place to focus and do my homework. Even though I would come home after dinner, my mother understood and would serve me dinner after she had served dinner to my six siblings and my father.

Community members can spread holiday cheer through a Westside Costa Mesa nonprofit that has served underprivileged teens for the last 20 years by helping them decorate a virtual Christmas tree. Save Our Youth, or SOY, is asking the community to help decorate its first virtual tree by donating $20 to $5,000 for virtual ornaments, lights and presents to help support its programs that assist students in going to college, keeping them out of trouble and raising their self esteem. The tree can be seen on the nonprofit's home page at www.save-our-youth.org . "We are just hoping to be able to keep our programs alive through the school year," said Mary Cappellini, a member of the nonprofit's board.

Clutching a small mold packed with sugar, meringue powder and water, Andrea Ortega, 12, prepared to flip her creation upside down to find an intact sugar skull. "Please don't crack," she chanted. "Please don't crack. " About half a dozen students and two mothers gathered in Save Our Youth's music room Wednesday evening, making sugar skulls for the organization's first Dia de los Muertos Community Festival, which is at 6 p.m. Friday. Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is dedicated to remembering in an artistic way loved ones who have passed away, said Eduardo Iniestra, SOY's arts and music coordinator.

A Newport Beach man's painted impression of his wife's Jewish cooking won him first place in the professional category at a recent Jewish art competition. Max Yamada placed first in the My Jewish Journey contest at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County for his painting "Jo's Gefilte Fish. " The painting, created with a painting knife, reflects Yamada's culinary Jewish journey by showing his wife, Jolyn Yamada, preparing a gefilte fish meal. For the painting, Yamada took a photo of his wife making the food.

Despite ongoing financial concerns, Save Our Youth on Friday night welcomed students back for another year and showed parents that the organization still has a lot to offer. "We aren't going anywhere and we see the need from the community," said Cesar Cappellini, chairman of the Costa Mesa-based nonprofit. More than a dozen parents came out for SOY's first Back to School Night to tour its facilities on the Rea Elementary School campus. They learned about its tutoring and academic offerings, fitness and dance programs, and art and music lessons.

A Costa Mesa-based nonprofit known for providing students with academic support is opening its doors Friday to show interested students and parents that if offers a whole lot more. Save Our Youth, or SOY, is hosting its first Back to School Night from 5 to 7 p.m. at the SOY Center, 661 Hamilton St. Despite financial troubles, SOY still has much to offer. "We were really getting excited about letting people know SOY is still strong and vibrant," said Mary Cappellini, a SOY board member and fundraising coordinator.