Non-Profit Organization Comes Together To Assist Kids Overcome Childhood Trauma Through Surfing

Besides surfing being an adventurous and thrilling sport, it is greatly therapeutic. Scientists have found the mental health benefits of surfing in recent years, which has led organizations like Urban Surf 4 Kids to use the sport as a therapy for children with special needs. The San Diego-based non-profit organization is famous for its surf therapy for children from foster homes. Through its impactful therapy sessions, it has changed the lives of nearly 6,400 kids till now. 

On May 17, the news website Spectrum News 1 reported about the life-changing surf therapy programs under Urban Surf 4 Kids. The program aims at creating positive experiences for kids who have not had good encounters at their foster homes.

Everything about the surf therapy at Urban Surf 4 Kids

Established in 2009 Urban Surf 4 Kids focuses on making foster care children experience the healing power of the ocean. Its surf therapy program is highly inspired by Hawaiian Culture’s “Ohana” concept which means “chosen family”. The non-profit organization considers its members, from donors to volunteers, as one big family coming together to change the lives of special children between the ages of 3 to 18. 

The organization’s website clearly states that with its mentorship and therapy, it intends to empower the minds of foster kids and help them become better leaders of tomorrow. It offers a six-month therapy session that includes financial literacy, etiquette, resume building, interviews, and mandatory volunteer service projects. Children who successfully fulfill the program get the opportunity to visit Hawaii and engage with the region’s culture. Moreover, they also get to perform outdoor adventures and volunteer projects and meet top surfing athletes. 

The Urban Surf 4 Kids’ website also shared a heart-touching story that developed during one of its surf therapy programs. In of its success story videos, mentor Charles Chaka Webb talked about meeting Destiny, a foster care girl. Coming from a difficult family background, she opened up to Webb about her challenges, which developed a deep, secure bond between the two. She shared that the support and comfort provided by Webb were something she missed throughout her life.

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The organization has helped many teenage kids, one of whom told the news website about his experience. Matthew Scheck who attended the surfing therapy recently shared, “Whenever I’m having a bad day or like a bad week, coming to Urban Surf, it just makes everything better.” 

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