15 Feb A Letter From the CEO

If you have raised a teenager or simply spent any time at all around one, you learn quickly that they have a burning desire to feel accepted and to be a “normal teenager”. The kids at the YOC are no different. They want to be a part of a group where they are welcome and have a sense of belonging. They want to have positive relationships where their unique abilities and efforts are recognized. In the end, they want a chance to be a kid and grow up in an environment where someone believes in them.

In this edition of the YOC newsletter, we share the impact our youth sports leagues are having on the kids at the YOC. How their participation is teaching them to contribute positively to a team, practice good sportsmanship and how their involvement leads to increased confidence and a sense of belonging. Their inclusion can also prove to be a normalizing activity for residents healing from trauma.

We also introduce you to a very special young man named Aiden who came to the YOC as a troubled fourteen-year-old but now works for us giving back to the kids now in our care. Aiden shares how the staff at the YOC invested in him during his two years at the YOC and how that changed the direction of his life.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to hear these stories and for partnering with us to give children like Aiden a chance. A chance to look forward to a brighter future that is possible for them, just like it is for other children.


This story is from the Spring 2019 Newsletter. To view the full newsletter click here.



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