Shelene Huey-Booker’s father was a pastor in East San José whose church shared a building with a Hispanic ministry. Twenty years ago, she and the other pastor’s son saw an opportunity: “There were not a lot of cross-cultural networking opportunities for young people our age in the fine arts, public speaking and sports,” said Huey-Booker, who is African American.
They formed the Youth Utilizing Power and Praise Organization (YUPP) to get local youth involved in the performing arts. Today, YUPP’s activities have broadened to include sports and other activities, serving youth from East San José, as well as Santa Clara. Shelene Huey-Booker is the group’s executive director and visionary. Through efforts to expand YUPP in 2002, Shelene met her now-husband Theophilus Booker. Guided by their shared vision, Theophilus has helped Shelene run the organization since 2006.
YUPP received a $10,000 grant from Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s Faith Fund, part of the Community Action Grants program. The group previously received a $20,000 grant from SVCF COVID-19 Nonprofit Emergency Response Fund, and is featured in SVCF’s Black-Led Organization Giving Guide.
SVCF’s Faith Fund is one of seven funds that make up SVCF’s Community Action Grant program, which seeks to address social, economic and racial injustices in Silicon Valley and help build a strong and engaged community. Grants from the Faith Fund focus on mostly smaller organizations that are working to build community, strengthen interfaith and race relations, and increase community participation in civic life.
A faith-based mission
YUPP started informally in 2002 and became an official nonprofit in 2009. Although its roots are in the Christian church, the group is not affiliated with any specific church or religion.
“We are faith-based from a Christian perspective; however, our motto has always been that based on our faith, love is what always wins,” Huey-Booker said. “We’re open to everyone who wants to come.”
Although the YUPP has expanded, (the group now offers sports programs such as football, basketball and tennis), music remains at the heart of the group’s two main programs, which serve youth from ages 6 to 25:
1. Breaking the Barriers Performing Arts Group is a touring and studio recording group that covers dance, theatre, songwriting, vocal and instrument instruction, as well as public speaking and sports. The group has produced two professional albums and has traveled to New York, New Jersey, and Ohio, as well as throughout California.
“Through Breaking the Barriers, we help empower youth to realize the gift that they have of the arts, and what discipline and hard work can accomplish,” Huey-Booker said. They have also expanded the offerings during their all-day Saturday meetings, with basketball, football and low-cost tennis lessons.
"We all have different backgrounds, but we come together for these events and performances, and that doesn't matter," said one of YUPP's youth participants. "It's a life-changing experience."
2. Light It Up School of Ministry Infused Arts is an after-school program that meets on Monday evenings and offers classes in vocal music, fine arts, dance, and instrumental music such as piano and drums.
All of YUPP’s activities are either free or available at a low cost, with scholarships available.
In addition to its two main programs, YUPP is currently working with youth on their Capstone Project to produce an original show and convenes a weekly Youth Leadership Council that plans events.
Grants promote stability
Huey-Booker recently “made the leap of faith to go full-time” with YUPP, she said. Previously, she taught music and other subjects in local schools and churches in addition to leading YUPP.
The two SVCF grants have helped YUPP stabilize during the pandemic and, more recently, helped the group move into a new building.
“Youth Utilizing Power and Praise requested a general operating support grant to support its performing art programs for youth from diverse cultures, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds,” said Mauricio Palma, SVCF’s Director of Community-Building. “They use an artistic and cultural platform to engage youth in the process of creatively expressing the issues of inequities and social and racial injustices that they experience.”
The 2020 grant “literally carried us through the pandemic,” Huey-Booker said. “It was a great gift to us.”
The funding helped YUPP move some programming online and add events to celebrate young women and men of color and their allies. One of the events was a Princess Party, where 60 girls attended in person and another 40 joined via Zoom. They learned etiquette and received personalized boxes with snacks and tiaras. A similar event, the Gathering of Distinguished Gentlemen, supported boys of color.
“It was a beautiful thing, and so needed at that time,” Huey-Booker said. “There were a lot of children that were struggling.”
The Faith grant in 2022 is helping YUPP move to a new location after 20 years of running out of either Huey-Booker’s home or her father’s church. A church in Santa Clara gave the group a portable building with an office and classroom space to use. YUPP used the grant funding to prepare the building and host a ribbon-cutting ceremony in August 2022.
“Young people love music and art, and these programs are speaking directly to youth interests,” Palma said. “It is powerful to see community efforts designed to engage students to learn to address social issues through art.”
Resources:
- Learn more about Youth Utilizing Power and Praise
- Learn more about SVCF’s Faith: Community Action Grants
- Support local nonprofits in SVCF’s Black-Led Organization Giving Guide