River City Youth

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Spokane, WA
River City Youth

River City Youth creates opportunities for youth enrichment in their neighborhoods through community engagement, job training, and education.

06/09/2026

🐝 Something weird happened in our garden last week... {SOUND ON} 🔊

Our bees decided to keep us on our toes with a swarm! We’re still not exactly sure what happened or whether this change will stick around long term, but one thing is certain: we are incredibly grateful for our neighborhood BEEros, Jill and Brian.

When we made the call and said, “Nature emergency!” they jumped into action and helped us safely catch the bees. With our team pulled in a dozen different directions last week, we truly could not have handled this without their support.

This is one of the things we love most about West Central. When something unexpected happens, neighbors show up.

For now, it looks like we have TWO bee hives in our garden! 🐝🐝 We’ll keep everyone updated and let you know if our new bee arrangement sticks around.

Huge thanks again to Jill and Brian for coming to the rescue and helping care for our tiny pollinator friends. 💛

06/05/2026

It takes a village, and we’re lucky to have an incredible one. 💚

As a small nonprofit, so much of what we do is made possible by volunteers. From helping in the garden, riding with our Bike Bus, supporting community dinners, mentoring youth, planting pollinator patches, and showing up whenever an extra set of hands is needed, our volunteers make River City Youth possible.

And honestly? We think we have some of the most fun volunteer opportunities around. 🚲🌱🍽️🐝

The photos here capture just a few of the amazing people who give their time, energy, and heart to our mission. Not pictured are the many other volunteers who support our work behind the scenes and throughout the year. We are grateful for every single one of you.

Thank you for believing in our youth, our community, and the power of showing up.

Want to join the fun? We’re always looking for new volunteers to help us create opportunities for youth in West Central Spokane and beyond.

👉 Volunteer with us! Link in bio.

06/03/2026

The joined us at our last Monarch Pathway Planting and highlighted us in her newsletter with this wonderful video explaining our project.

Our youth interns are leading this Monarch Pathway Project to support monarchs and our urban ecosystem! This project focuses on restoring our pollinator habitat throughout the neighborhood. We have and will continue to plan more indigenous pollinator plants (such as milkweed) to help our urban landscape and better our ecosystem! 🐝🦋🌱

05/29/2026

Another pollinator patch is in the ground! 🦋🌱

This week, our youth interns joined neighbors, volunteers, and community members to plant native flowers and plants at the Nettleton Triangle in West Central as part of our Monarch Pathway Project.

We were also honored to have Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown stop by, get her hands dirty, and help plant alongside our youth and community members. Her support means a lot as we work together to create a healthier and more vibrant urban environment.

This project is driven by the hard work and vision of our youth, who are helping transform underutilized spaces into habitats that support monarch butterflies, native bees, and other important pollinators. Every plant added to the ground is a step toward a more connected ecosystem and a greener neighborhood.

None of this would be possible without the volunteers, neighbors, and community members who continue to show up and invest in the future of West Central. Together, we are creating spaces where both people and pollinators can thrive.

We can’t wait to watch these gardens grow and see the impact they have on our neighborhood for years to come. 💛

05/26/2026

🎣 This past weekend we spent the day along the Spokane River with middle school youth and their families learning the basics of fly fishing, spending time outside, and trying something completely new together.

Youth learned how to set up rods, practice casting, and take turns fishing in the river while enjoying a beautiful Spokane spring day. There was so much patience, encouragement, laughter, and excitement throughout the afternoon.

Huge thank you to fly fishing expert for donating his Saturday to teach and guide our group. One of Marc’s biggest takeaways from the day was this:

“Outdoor activities like fly fishing can be accessible and affordable. We just have to rethink where and how these activities take place.”

That really stuck with us.

Programs like this are about more than fishing. They are about helping youth and families feel connected to nature, confident trying new things, and finding ways to unplug, slow down, and enjoy community together.

We are grateful for everyone who joined us for such a special day on the river 🌿🐟

05/21/2026

Yesterday, we planted the very first Monarch Pathway pollinator patch in West Central 💛🦋

Our youth interns worked alongside volunteers and community members to begin transforming our urban neighborhood into a healthier ecosystem for monarch butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. What may look like a small patch of plants today is part of a much bigger vision for the future of West Central.

This project is about more than flowers and butterflies. It is about youth leading environmental change in their own neighborhood. It is about creating greener spaces, restoring habitat, building community connection, and showing young people that they have the power to shape the future around them.

The Monarch Pathway Project will continue growing over time, with youth helping to plant and care for pollinator spaces throughout the neighborhood. We hope that one day monarch butterflies will be flying all throughout the streets of West Central because of the work our community came together to do.

Our next planting day is Tuesday, May 26th at the Nettleton Triangle in West Central, and we would love for more community members to join us! 🌱

Thank you to everyone who helped make this first planting possible. This is community care in action.

05/19/2026

River City Youth hosting two community planting days in West Central Spokane 🦋

The new project will create an environment that draws in butterflies and develops into a butterfly garden.
Author: Brandon T. Jones

River City Youth is hosting the first of two community planting days in Spokane.
The gardening effort is in line with the organization’s Monarch Pathway Project, a youth-led environmental initiative focused on restoring pollinator habitats throughout Spokane’s West Central neighborhood.

“We work here with high school youth to develop skills like collaboration, communication and responsibility,” says Wilson Faust, the engagement navigator for RCY.

Our planting days:
Today, May 19th: 3:30-5:30 (1832 W. Dean ave)
Tuesday, May 26: 3:30-5:30 (Nettelton Triangle)

05/14/2026

🌱 SUMMER INTERNSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN 🌱

River City Youth’s 2026 Summer Agriculture Internship starts in July and we are officially looking for our next group of youth interns and returning Youth Intern Leads ☀️

This is more than a summer program. Youth gain hands-on experience growing food, cooking, working as a team, building leadership skills, and making a real impact in the community. Plus, interns are PAID 💚

Whether you’re joining us for the first time or returning as a Youth Lead, we’d love to have you apply!

Applications close June 7 at midnight ⏰

Come spend your summer in the garden, building community, learning new skills, and making memories with us 🌻

05/13/2026

Last night’s Spring Internship Community Dinner was full of joy, connection, and really good food 🌿✨

Our youth interns helped host an evening that brought together volunteers, supporters, alumni, families, and community members! There was so much laughter, conversation, and love in the room. It felt really special to see so many people showing up to celebrate our youth and spend time together.

A huge thank you to Poorvi, one of our amazing board members, for serving as our guest chef for the evening. The menu was incredible and full of fresh spring flavors. From the garden “charcuterie” spread to the naan fajitas and homemade drinks, every detail was thoughtful and delicious 💚

Community dinners like this are one of our favorite parts of the program. Youth build confidence through cooking, hosting, teamwork, and sharing a meal with the people around them. Thank you to everyone who joined us and made the night so memorable 🌱

Address

1428 W Broadway Avenue
Spokane, WA
99201

Telephone

+15097037433

Website

http://rcyouth.org/

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