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The Fiver Children's Foundation: Christie Ko on its empowering & unique 10 year commitment program
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Will be talking a lot about giving.
And about what this holiday season can mean for all of us on it is so important to talk about the giving aspect I wanted -- is to our next guest.
-- Christine co executive director of the fiber and children's foundation I you can find Christine co acts.
Five -- focus on.
Twitter and of course -- website we'll talk about a minute so first welcome thank I thank you for being with us here today.
So let's talk about what the fibers children -- patient hits tell us about.
Well are there are a lot of kids out there in New York City were growing up in low income families and they are lacking professional wrong miles some of them -- safe places to play.
There are a lot of needs out there the average -- her family has a mean income of 27000 dollars a year for family of four so there are a lot of services especially in the neighborhoods for these kids are growing up.
They're not easily available to them so we wanted to do something about that.
Fiber is a unique youth development organization that makes -- ten year commitment to kids and we focus on really cultivating character and -- was this sound.
Through founded in 1988 our founder and gentlemen named Tom Tucker who had a successful career on Wall Street decided.
That he wanted to do something about these problems so that we could -- boy aid.
Things like children getting involved in gangs and getting -- in the criminal justice system and becoming parents before they're ready so he wanted to address some of those problems and he got together with some you know those from the Wall -- community that he -- -- any others that he knew as -- any -- -- -- and we opened our doors in 2000.
All right so five -- that's kind of a unique name that might be familiar to some tell us about -- -- -- fiber comes from what that means.
So five there is a character from a buck the book is called water shut down and it's by Richard -- -- -- written in 1972.
And it's about a group of -- whose home is threatened to and primary is one of the rabbits in the story.
And -- sound you know not the biggest -- the strongest but he's -- the visionary of the group and to heat.
-- has the courage to encourage his group to leave when their home is threatened so that they can find a safe and calm and so we've sort of use that.
That symbolism in the work that we do and the the author Richard Adams had come to our grand opening -- -- communicates with.
Now that's fun and -- -- unique way to remember it to me now there's obviously and thankfully a lot of programs.
That help youth and help -- definitely help people stay off the streets.
And get into the game system -- -- fibers approach you and what makes it's so unique because it sounds very.
I think that she -- that may -- the most unique our the ten year commitment and our approach to youths to nine when it comes in cultivating character.
And in SA said kids some kids and a lot of the neighborhoods in new York -- -- the role models and airlines tend to come and go.
And so we wanted to provide some consistency -- the children referred to our program at age eight.
And they stay involved with us until they're eighteen years old so -- is the only entry point into the program.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- So we work with -- from the time that they start with us -- the entire ten years and it's not just them as they're siblings -- into the program we welcome their siblings into their program.
We also have a lot of parent programs as well so it's a very holistic approach and our approach as far as -- care.
Do we really want to teach these kids to.
Figure out who they are and figure out their -- and find a way to give back.
Can share what they're learning with others and we were showing some pictures of a beautiful looking can't -- -- -- -- put that back up and you can tell us.
-- that is and what's going on the story here.
-- and this is one of our families that came TU one of our events at least on a monthly basis we have found families in TT like potluck dinners or.
And different social events that they -- a safe place to go on because often times that's something that's really lacking.
Up for our families and we continue on we -- -- -- very popular parent retreat up at our camp facilities or our corners on summer camp as one of the programs that -- that were most known for -- and once a year after the summer is over and after all the kids have -- on.
We -- of parents out there for 24 hours so that they can really experience what their children have experience and fascinate I never really got that's greens and he -- it.
When we talk about the fiber it sounds like you've described a lot of what it is why do you think it works so well made.
I think -- works because.
Children don't.
Just attend driver programs they they become fibers they'd become part of a culture and they.
Feel a sense of belonging a sense of belonging to something it.
That they began when they were eight years old and that will be part of their lives for the next ten years and then also when their alumni so there's a group of people a support network.
That really wants them to succeed and it's not gonna give up on them.
Looking at some really fun pictures you can see the interaction.
The attentiveness.
Of these kids you've been involved in this for quite some time.
You walked in the shoes what are some of your favorite memories that you can share with us.
Over the years that you've -- One of the rights of passage if you will of the -- kids is out when there when they're fifteen years old they spent two weeks there at our summer camp and then after.
All of the other children the home on the fifteen year old stay behind and they go on -- on a camping trip in the Adirondack Mountains so laid -- wilderness guide we'll take them out there and they will pack their bags they'll put up their tents and part of this trip is climbing a mountain literally crying wow.
So the kids get up to the top of this mountain ends when they come back to camp after this trip is over that's my favorite part when I get to sit there and talk to them about.
Their experience and one of the most common things that they will say to me is he not I wasn't sure I can do it or Harry didn't think I could.
But I did fess up and around them to remember that lesson.
I and we we've got to -- but I want I -- -- -- brought some dog tags out here -- taciturn Bob tell us quickly.
What that's about -- these are a piece of -- culture.
You know it's something that at the end there can't session.
Me there are awarded to one of these in this -- community builder self confidence to these are attributes and each child is recognized for an action -- every year.
So they're working on their personal development and they're working on building their character and this is -- token.
That they can come holding heat which shows them which -- abuse they have worked on so far.
And so important as a tangible thing for the Wear Wear with pride in this it's terrific and I people can find out a lot more we want to put up the website.
So that people -- -- find out more about this program find ways to get involved that is www.
Fiber.
Dot org and many other out closing comments because I know a lot of people hopefully -- Get on that website I don't want you know it's a special place I hope that -- I hope that people check out the website and become part of the private community because it really is a family awesome story thank you so much for sharing you know Christine co executive director of the -- -- foundation.
We look forward to you know checking back -- and you see how things go playing thirteen.
