Bay Area surfing program supports inner-city youth’s mental health

STINSON BEACH, Calif. – A caravan of surf vans arrived at the Stinson Beach parking lot on a quiet morning in August.  The excitement, pouring out of the vans, will soon mesh with the Pacific.  This camp brings surfing to a level that soars beyond just riding waves. 

Healing and empowering youth 

What we know:

Eddie Donnellan is the Founder and Executive Director of the MeWater Foundation.  The foundation formed in 2015. He has harnessed his passion for the ocean to create a program that is filled with love, support, and trusted guidance.  

“Children’s mental health is what this program is all about,” said Donnellan. 

The MeWater Foundation believes that the outdoors can heal and empower today’s youth. The group targets kids living in low-income communities.  Some of their campers may have experienced trauma and stress and others may just need a change in scenery.  While the ocean may only be minutes away, for many, it is their first visit and it reveals a different world. 

“I spent the majority of my career in children’s mental health and I just got to the point where I wanted to create a free program that got kids outside in Mother Nature and the ocean,” Donnellan said. 

The ocean beckons and outdoor adventures

MeWater partners with different community organizations across the Bay Area.  Most of the kids in today’s camp were from a group called Youth Matters in Richmond.  A few campers made the trip from San Francisco’s Bayview District.  

To fully capture the outdoor experience, the campers explored Mt. Tamalpais the night before and slept underneath the stars. Detached from video games and cell phones, they soaked in the new environment and fueled up for the big surf day ahead.

When you are planning a big surf day, there could be a lot of wildcards out there. Maybe a big swell, strong winds, or strange currents. But once the kids entered the water, it was nothing but smiles and fun.

Feeling accomplished

Taqari Hill, from Oakland, was celebrating his birthday with MeWater, and he was catching a lot of waves.

“In the Bay Area, you know it’s a little rough. But just being able to come out here and catch some waves …it changes like my whole mindset on a little different things.” said Hill.

“It felt like I accomplished something.  Like I conquered my fears. It felt good,” said Mignon Williams from Oakland.

 “It gives me a reset to have more peace and calm in my mind,” said Austin Grant from Richmond.

While some camps track progress, this camp just tracks the positive energy and smiles. They aim to make these kids feel welcome…whether they are surfing, boogie boarding, or just jumping around in the water.

Tim Gras is the Co-Founder of MeWater.  He is also a surfboard shaper and mental health provider in San Francisco.  

“That’s really how it started…bringing some more joy to all these folks and families from these neighborhoods and you can see it.  You get out there it is on right away everyone is sparkling,” Gras said. 

“We wrap our arms and our hearts around these kids and their families and we’ve seen a lot of kids who are stuck and this program allowed them to blossom,” Donnellan said.

The presence of the volunteer team was strong and vibrant throughout the day.  Each wave culminated with high-fives or even hugs.  

Madeline Klanjac recently graduated from Saint Ignatius in San Francisco and she keeps coming back to help.

Riding waves and feeling alive

“It is really fun to just push the boundaries and teach them how to do it and that translates to their life.  You can do hard things even if you had never done it before,” said Klanjac.

“It definitely is super rewarding as well seeing them catch a wave for the first time,” said volunteer Will Sandler. 

All of the waves that made the journey across the Pacific and crashed on this shoreline are long gone.  But the experience is still very much alive and may lead to lasting change.

“By providing this, I’m not saying that we are changing the world, but we certainly changed the day.  A lot of times that is what we all need,” Donnellan said.