Many of you know where my company name, babaLucas, came from:
Years ago working with youth-at-risk from San Francisco, one of the kids called me Baba-Lucas (a play on my last name) and it caught on. All of the kids and staff began calling me Babalucas and have been for 7 years now.
When I was thinking of a company name for my business, it was a simple choice. It has certain ring and that just makes people decision. Some generations think of I Love Lucy and others think of The Jungle Book.
Another one of those youth at risk, Evangela, is the subject of my birthday wish.
(This is a surprise for Eve, so don’t publish this on Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Many of you know Eve. She’s a 1st Generation Camp Choice kid and now 26 years-old (hard to believe, I know). For those of you who don’t know Eve:
Eve is the 4th oldest of 9 siblings who grew up in the Alice Griffith ‘Double Rock’ Housing Project in the Bayview-Hunter’s Point neighborhood near Candlestick Park where our 49er’s currently play. ‘Dub-Rock’ is named after a rock formation that sticks out from the San Francisco Bay water off the cliff where Dub-Rock sits.
Bayview-Hunter’s Point is also one of the violent, deadliest ‘hoods in San Francisco and all of Northern California.
Catching up with Eve this past weekend, I heard about her little brother getting shot in the leg, her little sister getting involved with the wrong guy, her parents home being shot up, lives being threatened, drug-dealing, jail, and more of which I’m keeping the details brief. This is all in the last two months.
It was a reality check for me. What drama have I been dealing with in the last two months? Nothing that bad. Not after that conversation.
Eve is one of the success stories of the youth-at-risk we work with. She’s gone way beyond keeping her nose clean. Eve got herself through community college and a couple years ago transferred to Cal Poly Pomona in Southern California where she’s getting her undergrad in Liberal Studies. Her next goal is law school.
I can’t begin to articulate how huge this accomplishment is considering where Eve comes from. She has grown into a woman with the drive to set those goals, have the belief it’s possible, make the right choices, and to make it happen. And continue to make it happen in an environment that could literally take somebody’s life in an instant for no reason but being there.
Eve has had a rough semester at school because of the drama at home that’s [emotionally] followed her 300+ miles to Cal Poly. She’s had an incredibly difficult time focusing and as a result is having to figure out with the school how to scrap this semester and get a do-over.
Eve isn’t one to tell just anybody this information, nor ask for a handout. She’s the rock amongst her family and friends. She’s been a rock for me too.
Being a technophile geek who’s business is tech-heavy, I want to make sure Eve’s technology is working so she is setup to win. Right now it isn’t: her computer is broken.
We were talking about a birthday party for me next month as we caught up, but afterwards I thought of a better use of my birthday wish:
I want to get Eve a proper laptop.
I have an old laptop that needs some work, to the tune of a couple hundred dollars. But it’s old and clunky.
This is where you come in.
We can do better for Eve together.
I’m not a huge fan of asking for money to support my cause. But we all say that until a cause or a reason hits home enough to change our mind. Eve isn’t some face out there, Dub-rock isn’t a country on another continent, this cause isn’t research that may someday help the next generation. This is Eve, my friend, who I chill with over an In-N-Out burger and shake on the regular. She likes vanilla shakes. I prefer chocolate.
Eve is a big inspiration for me.
If everyone who’s receiving this email pitches in $6, we can buy Eve a proper computer, software, computer bag/packback, etc.
…if everyone pitches in $25, we could pay for a proper computer + cover nearly a semester of tuition. Just sayin’.
Either way, I know Eve is going to get a laptop. But I know my community, my circle of influence, can do more.
My birthday is August 22nd. The following weekend is when we’ll most likely give Eve her gift. So that’s our timeline to make a contribution.
It’s a SECRET surprise for Eve. She has no idea. So please don’t post this to Facebook, Twitter, etc.