"Who are you and where have you been all my life?"
Hello and Welcome to the tale of why Anaheim Youtopia came to be! Long ago, three friends were spending a lot of time together contemplating life, their futures, and how far they’ve come as individuals. They realized a few things:
All of them grew up in Anaheim.
All of them grew up disadvantaged in some way.
All of them have a passion for mentoring youth.
These commonalities brought them together on an almost daily basis in District 2 of Anaheim to brainstorm ways that they could benefit their city and specifically the kids like they were. A frequently used motto between them was, “Be who you needed when you were younger.” They realized that their unique skill sets and imaginations would be best suited in a youth service nonprofit organization setting. So, they gathered a small group of volunteers and began the process of founding Anaheim Youtopia.
Our mission at Anaheim Youtopia is to empower, support, and cultivate a stronger sense of community within the disadvantaged youth of Anaheim, and the surrounding areas, via creative learning experiences, resources, mentoring. We actively practice seeing and hearing the kids for who they are, what matters to them, and who they would like to become!
Fun fact: the word “topia” is believed to originate from ancient Greece. It can be translated as “place” or “a place with specified characteristics.” So, quite literally, Anaheim Youtopia means this is your place!
At Anaheim Youtopia, we believe community is what you make it. We also believe that community doesn’t begin and end with our organization. We want our teens to know that they are a part of this city, that they can use their voices, and they can learn where to find the invitations to participate. We want to help them influence the world around them to be a more inclusive and considerate place for all of its residents to thrive. Because there are so many different people with different stories and interesting contributions to be offered here.
Moving forward, we invite you to join us in any way that you can. Anaheim Youtopia is our way to build real community, to bridge real gaps, to support each other, to socialize, to learn, to grow, and to empower. You can check out our opportunities page to see where we need help then fill out an application! We’re also always looking for partners, sponsors, and welcome donations of all kinds. So, come with us as we move forward with love, Anaheim Youtopia isn't much without you.
- Nikki Klein, Executive Director and Treasurer of Anaheim Youtopia
"Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in the looking outward together in the same direction."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
