Are we a society that takes care of our children? Some of our children live in extreme poverty, experience neglect or abuse, have addicted or incarcerated parents. For them, each day is a struggle to survive. Even small efforts to help can have an enormously positive effect; helping them develop life skills and establish a healthy contacts network. Allow them to live, allow them to thrive.
Mark Richardson is founder and president of The Lowell Slater Richardson Foundation. Mark was born in 1962, his parents were both teachers. His father was born in 1908 and was a Dixieland drummer, later a middle school band teacher. Mark volunteered as a youth league lacrosse coach from 1988-1989, and in the mid 1990’s Mark became focused on society’s lost children. From 1995 to 2005 Mark volunteered at The Foundry School in San Jose; a Santa Clara County Office of Education school for at risk students. The Foundry provided a path for students to become healthy, find their voice and succeed. As a volunteer, Mark created a free, internationally registered Shotokan dojo and taught students traditional karate as a means to help them find their inner strength. He also served for eight years as a mentor, accompanying the students on their annual desert retreat – an intensive week-long event designed to change lives.
His relationship with these students prompted Mark to create the 501c3 Lowell Slater Richardson (LSR) Foundation in 1996. Named after his late father, a lifelong California teacher, the LSR Foundation awards at risk students grants for continued education. To date the LSR Foundation has awarded over $100,000 in grants to 80 students. Many of the grant recipients have completed their education at trade schools, community colleges, state universities and schools in the California UC system.
While working a full-time job, Mark continued to volunteer in other areas in the community. He served on the Community Advisory Committee in the City of Sunnyvale as a board member representing residents and local business from 2004-2012. He served as an Assistant Coach for three years with the Sunnyvale Police Athletic League Boxing Program working with at risk youth. He also served as a volunteer instructor and board member for Satsuma Dojo (1993-2016), one of the original, traditional Shotokan dojos in the Bay area. While serving in this capacity, Mark was able to bring the Satsuma Dojo program to the Columbia Neighborhood Center in Sunnyvale as a low-cost program for Sunnyvale residents.
When Mark’s children entered elementary school, Mark volunteered to serve as the school’s PTA Treasurer from 2007-2008. He managed PTA funds and provided all the accounting activities/reports for these funds. He then served on the school’s fundraising committee, PEPCO, for two years as a board member. From 2013 to 2016, Mark served as a School Site Council Board Member, a state mandated committee and decision-making body that represents all stakeholders of the school community.
Sunnyvale’s Fremont High School has also benefitted from Mark’s generous donation of his time and interest in helping students. Mark volunteered on a weekly basis from 2011 to 2014 to work with students in the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. AVID students are the first in their families to attempt to attend college. Mark created a series of job seminars culminating in mock interviews with CEO’s and multi-industry executives. Mark also volunteered on a weekly basis to work with the at risk students in the Vistas and Academic Foundations Programs at Fremont High School.
In 2016, Mark was asked to run as a candidate for the School Board in the Santa Clara Unified School District. There have been many problems and dysfunction on the SCUSD Board and Mark hoped he could help restore confidence and stability. Mark won the election and championed student safety, well-being and financial stewardship of the district. He advocated for the at risk students and initiated the formation of an at risk task force. Through his public presentations to the Santa Clara County Supervisors and the Santa Clara City Council, Mark was able to create the first ever budgeted internship program for at-risk students. Mark wrote bylaws and sponsored a mural; made by students for at risk students. During his tenure on the Board of Trustees, he helped the Community Day School acquire a budget and was able help them acquire new office and kitchen equipment.
Working with at risk youth can be heartbreaking. Mark has created countless fundraisers, donated decades of time and counseled generations of students that are self-medicating, abandoned by their parents, student so angry they can’t function. It’s a great challenge to try and help young people that have lost all hope; more sobering is attending their funerals. It is humbling, seemingly hopeless work. But he believes all children deserve help and their potential to themselves and society is enormous. Mark believes many of the most prolific, fascinating and successful people have endured extreme hardship.
Mark has a passion for helping at risk students. He believes we can incarcerate or bury these young people, or we help build them up to be the wonderful people they want to be. Even today, the students at the Santa Clara Unified School District’s Community Day School benefit from his weekly visits to the school. Mark believes that these students will thrive if only someone is there to listen. He hopes by listening and showing these students compassion and respect, he will be effective in making a difference in their lives.
Media articles
“Let’s not abandon county’s forgotten teens” San Jose Mercury News 6/5/2003
“Inside Job- Martial arts takes Mark Richardson on an unexpected journey” Sunnyvale Sun 1/7/2004
“Fremont High students get a taste of interviewing for coveted career jobs” San Jose Mercury News 5/6/2015
“Santa Clara school candidates vow to restore calm” San Jose Mercury News 10/29/2016
“Kids Doing Art For Kids; New Mural at Santa Clara Community Day School” Silicon Valley Voice 8/26/2019