A Message from the Executive Director

2007 has been a watershed year for Outdoor Outreach. After our seventh full year of programming, we have served more than 3,500 youth on over 1,000 trips. This year we’ve witnessed some amazing success stories from the youth who have participated in our programs over the years. We’ve seen the impact of our programs reach far beyond our founding mission of helping at-risk and underprivileged youth gain confidence and self-esteem through participation in outdoor activities.

We’ve seen the kids in our programs take their confidence and new sense of self, and new-found perception of the world and their place in it, and transform their lives. We’ve seen youth with no hope for the future graduate from high school and move on to college. We’ve seen goals set and achieved, relationships healed and cycles of abuse broken. This spring, leadership program participant Juan Herrera became our first college graduate. We are committed to make sure that Juan is the first of many.

Organizationally, 2007 was an unprecedented year for growth. We saw our small, grassroots staff almost triple in size, while we received an outpouring of community support to help us transition to a larger, more sustainable organization. Our 210 trips this year mark a 42% increase in capacity. In addition to the increase in outdoor programming, we’ve created more comprehensive program models. Our expanded programs ensure that the youth we serve are not only given opportunities to have life-changing outdoor experiences, but are also given the support they need to succeed.

We would like to thank all of our supporters for their generous contributions of time, energy, ideas and financial support that made 2007 our most successful year ever. As we move into 2008, we are inspired by the past successes, and we invite you to join us in our efforts to provide at-risk and underprivileged youth with life-changing opportunities.