4DC Spring Newsletter

Now's the Time to Support Local

With everything going on right now, we at the FDC Foundation have been reflecting on all of the local artists and businesses in our community that are being affected during this trying time. These are the people and places that make North County what it is; give it character, strength and life. They keep our cities moving and create spaces for us to meet, share, engage, collaborate, laugh.Over the years we have leaned heavily on our community and would not be where we are today if it weren’t for the kindness we received from local artists, donors and sponsors. These local community members and businesses listened to our message and believed in our mission. They were willing to help, believing that our community would be better for it. Now it is our turn to help. We urge you to continue to support your local businesses and show them love in any way you can. Many have come up with alternative ways to serve the community during this time, so stay up to date on what your favorites are doing. We wish everyone the best and our hearts go out to those affected. Good vibes everywhere. We also hope that you are coming up with creative and safe ways to express yourself during this strange time. This will pass and we will be stronger for it.

Now to recap what we've been up to and what's next!

Partnership and Donation to the YMCA

To start the year, the Forrester David Craven’s Foundation presented the YMCA’s Youth and Family Services with a $1000 donation to help support their Transition Age Youth program which provides clothing, food, shelter, and mentorship to at risk youth ages 16-24.

The money was raised on the feet of Sally Cravens as she completed the Honolulu Marathon on December 8th. Cravens, whose son serves as the foundation’s namesake and inspiration, saw the opportunity to dedicate her run to a cause that meant dearly to her and Forrester.

“It means the world to have Forrester’s mom, such a strong and inspirational figure, to play such a huge role in making sure this foundation continues Forrester’s legacy in all the ways that Forrester used to give back,” said FDC President Tim Mensalvas.

One of the FDC Foundation’s missions is to provide local youth with the space and opportunity to express themselves creatively; believing that through this expression comes power, independence and confidence. Yet, it recognizes that first basic needs have to be met for one to be successful, which is why partnering with the YMCA is a great opportunity to improve the lives of North County’s youth.

The YMCA Youth and Family Services works to build trust within the community, working with each individual to co-create opportunities that match each person’s hope for living a meaningful life, says Director of Community Engagement Justin Lipford. Part of this work includes creating space through artistic expression.

“We have found the more artistic opportunities we provide the more our community is revealing a desire to participate, for art equals opportunity,” says Lipford. “It will be through collaborations with other like-minded and like hearted organizations that we can best provide these artistic opportunities, and so we are grateful for the partnerships between FDC and YFS.”

It is through community partnerships that North County youth will have the best chance to have their needs met. The FDC Foundation will continue to seek out and collaborate with other groups to help strengthen our community and create positive spaces for our youth.

To find out more information about the YMCA’s Transition Age Youth program visit their website.

Expression Sessions Workshop

We also hosted our very first Expression Sessions workshop, with local musician, photographer and videographer, Jose Cassilas. This workshop series is focused on learning new and creative ways to express yourself. This specific workshop was hosted at the Hill Street Country Club and focused on creating music and video from the visuals and sounds around the community using only their phone or tablet. Attendees were given a tutorial on what type of apps to use and their basic functions. Because this was our first workshop, we wanted to thank our attendees by splitting up $500 for them to use towards their creative passions. Let us know if there is a new artistic hobby you would like to learn, and we'll throw it in the line up.

Photos by Caitlin Gaurano

4DC Creative Scholarship

The Forrester David Craven’s Foundation is excited to release this year's application window for the 2020 4DC Creative Scholarship. To keep our mission moving forward, we are opening up this year's scholarship to more schools in North County San Diego. The scholarship will now be open to seniors at the following high schools: Vista, Rancho Buena Vista, El Camino and Oceanside. Visit our 4DC Creative Scholarship page to learn more.

Infinite Expression 5

Because of the current COVID-19 situation, we are pushing our annual fundraiser to be set for August. We're looking forward to celebrating Infinite Expression 5 which will be hosted at the brand new Booze Bro's event space, the Vistonian, in downtown Vista Village.

Thank You!

A major thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout the years! Because of your donations, we are able to continue to award scholarships and support our art community!

To get stay up to date or to get involved, log onto the website, email us at info@fdcfoundation.com, or follow us on Instagram @4dc.foundation.