SA Youth Receives $46,753 Grant

SA Youth Receives $46,753 Grant From Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

SAN ANTONIO – SA Youth recently was awarded a $46,753 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant for the nonprofit organization’s Youth Getaways Program.

The Youth Getaways Program provides outdoor adventures for inner-city youth and the opportunity to engage in outdoor activities, which have proven to be some of the most memorable, enduring, and character building exercises that SA Youth offers.

Cynthia Le Monds, SA Youth chief executive officer, says the organization will use the Texas Parks and Wildlife grant to provide more than 500 inner-city youth with the opportunity to “get away” from the city and experience nature through outdoor experiential learning activities such as hiking, camping, canoeing, horseback riding and rock climbing, among other activities.

“Imagine you’ve grown up in the inner-city, and you’ve never seen a fish, a crocodile, or an eagle, except on television. So many children in the inner-city have never been beyond the walls of the inner-city,” Le Monds says. “Inner-city children often lack opportunities to explore nature. This funding is important because it gives urban youth from some of our most impoverished areas access to public lands, an opportunity to explore, and a chance to engage in more outdoor activities.”

State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, added, “All children need the experiences of enjoying our environment and natural resources. Texas Parks and Wildlife partnering with the Youth Getaways Program will give our children an unparalleled learning experience.”

The grant is authorized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, whose mission is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.