In 1997, my daughter and I handed out flyers in our Vallejo community and invited young people to come together. Sixteen girls showed up.

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We didn't know then what Club Stride would become. We simply knew that young people needed a place to connect, to be heard, and to know that they mattered.  Nearly three decades later, that belief still guides our work.

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I've watched generations of young people walk through Club Stride unsure of what they had to offer and discover their voice, their creativity, their strengths, and their ability to lead. Today, that happens through media and storytelling, civic engagement, mentorship, digital skills, workforce opportunities, and experiences that connect young people to their schools and communities.  The tools have changed considerably since 1997.  The need to know that they matter has not.

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That is what stays with me.

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When a young person picks up a microphone and realizes people are listening, creates something they are proud to share, takes responsibility for leading a project, earns their first paid opportunity, or begins to see possibilities for themselves that they hadn't considered before—that is Club Stride.  And our work is still evolving.

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We are building stronger pathways so that a young person who first encounters Club Stride in middle school has somewhere to go next: opportunities to create, lead, gain real-world experience, prepare for college and careers, and eventually help open doors for the young people coming behind them.

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As we enter this giving season, I am thinking not only about how far we've come, but about what it will take to keep those doors open.

Every donor, partner, volunteer, parent, educator, Board member, staff member, and community supporter who has believed in Club Stride has helped carry this work forward. Some of you have been with us for years. Some are just discovering us. There is room for you in this story.

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Your support between now and the end of the year helps us continue creating spaces where young people know they matter—and where they have the opportunities, relationships, and tools to turn that belief into something real.

Sixteen girls were just the beginning.

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The next generation is already here. And I can't wait to see what they do next.

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With gratitude,

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Dr. Rhonda R. Renfro
Founder & CEO
Club Stride Inc.

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