Pleasanton Young Men's Service League gives the Ultimate Gift

Shepherd’s Gate in Livermore, which provides a long-term program for homeless women and children, was chosen by the Young Men’s Service League, Pleasanton, as this year’s “Ultimate Gift” recipient. During three days in November, nearly 160 moms and their high-school aged sons dedicated over 490 volunteer hours to renovate the homeless shelter. Projects included gate painting, fence staining, ground mulching of the entire 3-acre property, and restoration of the vegetable and Honor gardens.

“We are filled with gratitude and appreciation for this amazing blessing. The kindness, hard work and generosity from the YMSL can be felt every time our women and children walk through our Livermore campus. Every area touched in this beautification project reflects your compassion and heart to serve our community. Thank you all!” - Jill Gandara, Facility & Partnership Manager, Shepherd’s Gate.

The young men and their moms are part of the Pleasanton chapter of the national organization, Young Men’s Service League (YMSL). YMSL’s mission is to assist, serve and support those who are in need in our community, develop leadership skills among its membership, and promote mother-son relationships. YMSL Pleasanton, comprised of 200 young men and their moms from the Tri-Valley area, chose Shepherd’s Gate for their annual YMSL Ultimate Gift campaign. The YMSL Ultimate Gift is a multi-day philanthropic event dedicated to one philanthropy partner per year. The goal is to do something transformational for the philanthropy, something that it may otherwise not have had the workforce or resources to do for itself.

"I don't know if anyone has told you guys, but we are so blown away by all this love, it is beautiful. Thank you for coming and thank you for doing this for us." - Shepherd's Gate Resident Livermore Campus.

YMSL Pleasanton would like to thank: Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore for their generous donation of perennials, annuals, vegetables, and succulent plants; and the Knights of Columbus, Dublin for their monetary donation toward this project.

The Young Men’s Service League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit national organization. Members of YMSL are moms and their teenage sons who volunteer together to serve their local communities during his four years of high school. YMSL currently represents over 10,400 moms and 11,500 young men as part of more than 115 chapters across 16 states. YMSL offers moms service opportunities and time together with her son(s) to grow their relationship and to instill in him a heart of service to last a lifetime. Since its inception, YMSL members have served over 2 million community service hours. In addition to service, as part of its four-year comprehensive program, YMSL teaches leadership and life skills to develop our young men to become the capable, confident, and compassionate leaders of tomorrow.

https://chapters.ymsl.org/chapter/pleasanton