For the past five years, the Community Boating Center and Vamos Outdoors Project have stood side by side to make Bellingham Bay accessible for Latinx, migrant, multilingual, and newcomer youth. Together, we’ve created Vamos al Mar—a program where students kayak, sail, paddleboard, and explore the sea, all at no cost to their families.

This partnership is about more than recreation. It’s about trust, belonging, and opportunity. CBC brings the boats, safety training, and skilled instructors; Vamos provides the cultural connection, family relationships, and wraparound support. Year after year, this collaboration has broken down barriers—language, cost, transportation—that often keep kids away from the water.

But this year, the program is at risk. Reduced funding means we are $20,000 short of what it will take to keep Vamos al Mar afloat. Without that support, dozens of students may miss out on the chance to experience the confidence, joy, and healing that come from being on the Bay.

Your gift helps sustain this proven partnership and ensures that every child who shows up at the shoreline is met with open arms, the right gear, and a safe boat to carry them forward.

Five years of impact can’t end here. With your help, we can keep the sails full and the doors open for the next generation.