Wind Youth Services

Nicamer joined the Wind family on August 1, 2022. He is from the Bay Area and has worked in public health and social service for 25 years.  He worked in San Francisco’s Tenderloin with the homeless population, coordinated traffic safety and injury prevention projects, managed programs in San Bruno jail, taught at a community college teaching introductory health science courses, advocated for workers’ rights, collaborated with Tribal health clinics throughout California, and served as a Regional Director managing foster homes in Northern California.  As the new Executive Director at Wind, he is committed to growing the organization and continue building partnerships with the community, and all the while continue serving youth and creating a safe space for them and staff.

He received his Master in Public Health from San Jose State University, with a focus on Community Health Education. Nicamer enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons and can be found roller skating at the local rinks or participating in roller derby, either as a referee or player.

Nicamer Tolentino

Many runaway and homeless youth are classified as commercial sexually exploited children (CSEC) or are highly at risk of being exploited. Sacramento is recognized as being a vulnerable area to labor and sex trafficking due to the number of ports and airports, the immigration population and economic industries that attract forced labor. It is estimated that Wind Youth Services provides services to nearly 300 youth each year that have experienced some sort of commercial sexual exploitation. Recently, Wind Youth Services was granted the Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program to be able to meet the individual needs of survivors as they escape a traumatic and life-threatening past.

Our trauma-informed Anti-Trafficking Advocates will provide crisis intervention to transitional age youth (TAY) to assess their need for emergency shelter or housing, food, transportation, and health care. In addition, we will help access vital documents, public assistance benefits, education, and employment resources, when applicable. We will provide support to our survivors when engaging with legal services, accessing victim assistance benefits, family reunification, connections to mental health support, and most importantly, creating a safety plan specific to their long-term needs. It may take time for survivors to overcome the fear of identifying with being trafficked or the stigma and shame that is often associated with human trafficking. However, it is our priority to individualize services that empower each person to break down barriers of co-dependency, victim-blaming, and the misconception that there are little to no resources to support them.

Wind Youth Services is honored to partner with the CARES Foundation on an HIV/STI education and testing project for homeless and at-risk youth. The CARES Foundation is a local non-profit serving the Sacramento region by providing grants to agencies serving people living with HIV, prevent the transmission of HIV, and raise social awareness to end discrimination and stigma against those living with or at risk of being infected of HIV.

With the support from the CARES Foundation, Wind has been able to provide HIV/STI education and testing to homeless and at-risk youth in the greater Sacramento area. Wind has been partnering with local agencies to bring this awareness to the youth and foster conversations on how to prevent HIV and STI and the high-risk behaviors that may put them in harm’s way. This funding has allowed these important conversations to be had with youth since they are at the greatest risk for the transmission of HIV and STI.

“Every year, on GivingTuesday, we mobilize millions of people across the globe (almost 70 countries) to show up, give back, and change their communities. The goal is to create a massive wave of generosity that lasts well beyond that day, and touches every person on the planet.”

Giving Tuesday is just one week away! To support Wind, click here.

To learn more about our Building Fund, click below:

 

https://gofund.me/a08a0b83