The Embrace program concept was created in 2000 by CEO Sean Sheppard, Embrace programs are designed to connect college student leaders to San Diego's multi-cultural community in the areas of social and physical wellness through service learning and volunteerism.
In 2004, the program began a fundraising campaign and in early 2005 received its first major grant from the Jacob's Family Foundation for its school-based wellness program. Over the next 2.5 years, Embrace was implemented ... Read More
The Embrace program concept was created in 2000 by CEO Sean Sheppard, Embrace programs are designed to connect college student leaders to San Diego's multi-cultural community in the areas of social and physical wellness through service learning and volunteerism.
In 2004, the program began a fundraising campaign and in early 2005 received its first major grant from the Jacob's Family Foundation for its school-based wellness program. Over the next 2.5 years, Embrace was implemented at Gompers Charter Middle School, O'Farrell Middle School and Porter Elementary. Key sponsors of the program include the Jacobs Family Foundation, Sony, ESPN Radio, The California Black Health Network, Whole Foods, My Family Farm, Clif Bar, Lara Bar, Middleton Realty, Union Bank of California, the Boys and Girls Foundation, Lion's Club of San Diego and The California Endowment.
In 2008 CEO Sean Sheppard started one of Embrace's most popular programs Embrace the Streets. This year-round program utilizes college student volunteers to provide food, clothing, blankets, water and toiletries to the homeless population in San Diego's downtown East Village area. With the help of food donor's like the Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego Bayfront Hilton, Old Venice Restaurant, Siesel's Deli, and other caterers, restaurants, and food trucks, Embrace is able to provide hot meals to the homeless community.
In 2011 Embrace launched Healing Our Heroes’ Homes (H3) program. H3 utilizes college students and recent graduates to remodel the homes of disabled veteran homeowners through a partnership with various licensed volunteer contractors and sponsors such as The Home Depot Foundation and Military Home Loans. Volunteer contractors oversee the rehabilitation of the distressed proprieties.
Embrace launched it's first annual fundraising campaign Ex 4 Vets in 2011. Participants raise money by collecting pledges for their participation in the hour long outdoor physical fitness & kickboxing event on board the USS Midway. In 2015 Ex 4 Vets helped raise over $29,000 for Embrace programs.
Game Changer brings together community members, law enforcement, judicial and legislative branches of government for moderated focus groups. Together we discuss community problems and devise solutions. Dinner and event tickets are provided. Pre and Post perception surveys are completed by each participant to generate data.
The Game Changer model calls upon the NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, WNBA, NASCAR, UFC and major artists to allow for moderated focus groups (15-20 per month in each city) to occur at their arena, 3 hours before game, competition or concert time. The moderated focus groups are a safe space which allow members of the community, members of law enforcement, elected officials and members of the judicial system to discuss the issues that exist between and among them.
Once the focus group concludes, all participants adjourn to take in the sporting/entertainment event together in order to spend much needed social/human bonding time together, time that is routinely absent from a typical citizen or police officer’s life routine. Game time allows the participants to see each other in a human light, as members of one team routing for a common denominator: the home team.
The ultimate goals for Game Changer are for community members, law enforcement and members of the judicial system, and elected officials to become better educated about one another, leading to a change in perceptions, which leads to a change in behavior, leading to a change in outcomes.
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