MeWater Foundation Profile

Our social vision

At MeWater Foundation we set our goal to social respect, equality, progress and inclusion. Working to recover young people from poverty and violence, we provide them a new social relationship with their communities thanks to the Ocean power. We let them develop new abilities and skills while building relationships between us and them.

From May through November, MeWater runs programs throughout the Bay Area, pursuing outdoor activities like overnight camps, to get in touch with nature, with the outdoors and with people without modern fast-minded technology approaches.

The MeWater Foundation is more than surfing. It is about increasing one's own self-reliance and purpose. It is about leveraging the strengths of people and reducing social isolation by growing positive connections within the community with the ocean as a conduit to improvement of well-being.

Our Story

MeWater Foundation was founded in 2015 by childhood surfing friends Eddie Donnellan and Tim Gras from San Francisco. They have always shared deep personal connections with the ocean and have found counsel in surfing through life’s biggest challenges.

Eddie and Tim worked together for over two decades at the Edgewood Center for Children and Families, specializing in trauma informed care and running outdoor summer camps. It was there that they had the idea to bring the kids and others out into the ocean. When they saw an immediate positive impact on kids dealing with a variety of issues, they decided to take the plunge, officially founding MeWater to bring more kids to the beach.

From their experience, they have learned to take a unique and prescriptive approach to working with every child they serve through MeWater. Their passion for helping children and families is the driving force behind their mission.

In addition to Eddie and Tim, MeWater is supported by an incredible staff of volunteers – like-minded mental health professionals and surfers, all with a passion for helping children, and all working to continue MeWater’s vision of taking outdoor youth programs as far they can, always with an emphasis on educating, inspiring and empowering the youth and their families.

MeWater Foundation is dedicated to promoting positive behavior and health in children who suffer or have suffered severe trauma while providing them a glimpse of new opportunities and perspectives.

Promoting positive relationships

Young people growing up in challenging circumstances often experience barriers to accessing the emotional support they need to cope with the pressures of daily life. The constant stress of under-resourced communities often results in behavioral and learning problems, the increase of social isolation, and a need for realistic opportunities to enable young people to prosper.

MeWater Foundation is dedicated to promoting positive behavior and health in children who suffer or have suffered severe trauma while providing them a glimpse of new opportunities and perspectives. MeWater works to create moments to chip away at Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) and the scars of trauma. Targeting children the system may be failing and who need supplemental support, MeWater Foundation acts as an additional resource to positively impact youth with its trauma-informed care.

MeWater has active and robust relationships with local community partners to serve the children who need its services the most, including the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, Hunters Point Family, and the Edgewood Center.

Takeaways

MeWater foundation believes in environmental, social and economic sustainability. We therefore work by creating strong and sustainable relationships with personal developments, without social distinction, respecting the environment for the well being of both our Earth and our society.

To share our business method, we leave down here some takeaways for marketers, to spread a better sustainability consciousness:

• Define your environmental path, wherever it goes into Ocean conservation, reforestation projects, sustainable energy or recycling systems, depending on your business activity;
• Balance your sustainability: don’t forget that sustainability is not just about the environment, but it starts from people, therefore concentrate at first on social inclusion, while reducing your carbon footprint;
• Don’t force your community to find new necessities for fastest ways to do something, leaving social links behind your activity. Instead pursue collaboration between individuals, let ideas be shared around the community.

Surf Camps

MeWater holds Surf Camps at beaches throughout San Francisco and Marin County. You can find us enjoying Stinson Beach, Bolinas Beach, Miramar Beach, Muir Beach, and other favorite surf spots! During the summer, we hold 2-3 full-day camps a week. Once school is back in session, our camps are held on weekends and after school.

MeWater camps are absolutely free for our MeWater community!  We provide transportation, gear, and guaranteed fun and smiles for all participants. Thanks to our 300+ volunteers, we bring the magic of mother nature to our at-risk living in the San Francisco Bay area.  

MeWater partners with many outstanding community groups to ensure we reach the at-risk youth in need of these outdoor educational programs and surfing experiences.