Mission

Save Our Youth (SOY) is a youth violence prevention center serving the low income Westside community of Costa Mesa. SOY was founded in 1993 by concerned mothers who were losing sons and daughters to a growing culture of gang violence. We operate in the after school hours and serve youths in grades 8– 12 in the Newport Mesa School District.  Our programming includes a community health and fitness program, a female empowerment program (SOY Girls), sports teams, recreational and educational field trips, social activities, and our scholarship program. Our overall mission is to prevent youth violence and nurture our teen community to make positive decisions in life.

Board of Directors

  • Cesar Cappellini, Chair             CEO, Bell Foundry
  • Don Maher, Secretary                Retired Aerospace Engineer
  • Jean Forbath, Treasurer             Retired Exec. Director, Share Our Selves
  • Diana Hensley                           Retired Educator
  • Adriana Suarez Desmond          Attorney, Andrews and Thornton
  • Bobby Lovell                             Clinical Psychologist
  • Gerry Demarsico                       Retired Engineer
  • Jose Sanchez                             SOY Alumni, Graduate Student, CSULB
  • Karolina Soriano                        SOY Alumni, Social Worker, UC Irvine
  • Fred Macias                               Business Owner
  • Mary Cappellini                          Educational Consultant & Author

Staff


➢ Silvia Rosales                         Operations Manager
➢ Eddie Iniestra                         Arts & Music Coordinator