YMCA is a non-profited organization for youth to set and achieve their educational and personal goals. Giving these youth an opportunity to prepare themselves for the future, will give them the confidence and push they need to become successful. At the YMCA, they give guidance on how to use available resources to become active members of society. This organization engages the youth in the South Hampton area, which has a high poverty and homeless rate of 12.4% (Measuring Poverty Rates in Hampton Roads, 2013). Regardless of background or income, an opportunity is given to form a partnership to deliver change and strengthen the community.
Evaluating the Education and Outreach Program at the Y on Granby demonstrated the drive this organization
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Through interviews and surveys/questionnaires, I was able to collect information about the program, and how it impacts the participants directly. The youth participants were given a survey/questionnaire about their thoughts about the program, and what they gained from their experiences. I wasn’t able to get many members to participate; however the information received was valuable. The five members that completed the survey ranged from ages 13-15 years old. Through these survey’s, I wanted to know what the youth thought was helpful, needed improvement, and what they enjoyed the most. Since they are the main focus in the organization, their intake is very important. Majority of the members who took the survey believed that getting involved in the community was what they enjoyed the most and what they believed was helpful. I had a 14-year-old girl tell me that getting involved in the community was the most important to her because she was able to give …show more content…
I also wanted to know if their funding and budgeting was up to standards in ensuring these kids get the resources they need. Many of the communities involved are low-income, at-risk and underserved population. Six in 10 YMCA serve communities families who income falls below the national average, and one in five kids in YMCA child care benefits from financial assistance. Many of the youth involved are usually from the same community. Some members are referred into the organization when they have interest in volunteer work, enjoy art and music, and want to build a bond with other youth in the area. There is no requirements or guidelines that need to be met to join. Committed donors, grants, and fundraisers are how YMCA financially ensures that members receive the resources to learn, grow and thrive. Events held by this organization is not only to generate funds, but used to give the community awareness of the importance of getting youth involved to attain leadership skills, and be physically, mentally, and socially prepared. Fundraising events are held so that the community can get involved with the organization. Fundraising events such as Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot and dinner/dance nights, are held often. Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Goizueta Foundation, and Walmart Foundation who are committed donors;
Furthermore, facilities frequently concentrate on “quick-fix” interventions instead of focusing on their qualities that empower them and concentrating on long-term aspirations (Heinze & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, 2009). For the most part, it is extremely hard to access health care for the youth population because they face various restrictions. It is not surprising that many homeless adolescents do not have a way of seeking services even if they are the population that needs it the most. Homeless youth are at a higher risk of adverse outcomes such as not being able to further their education, getting incarcerated, developing a mental health disorder, and engaging in alcohol dependency and unsafe sexual behavior (Heinze & Jozefowicz-Simbeni, 2009). Children without a home are more prone to live in inconsistent and harsh living conditions categorized by family and school issues. Although; many homeless youths do not experience desirable outcomes housing programs and similar services serve a primary support system to help reduce homelessness. Services that promise better living conditions are shown to enhance lifestyles and a positive development into adulthood.
The youth homelessness population is increasing because of the many challenges that these children or teens face in everyday life; It also continues getting larger every year because of the many youth who are getting into dangerous situations that force them to be homeless or thru their own choosing. One third of the homeless population is between the ages of 16-24, which is incredibly young and it is the prime years for an adolescent or young adu...
Based off the attention from modern media, youth homelessness has been on an unfortunate upslope in the United States within the past decade. Various factors tie into why this issue is becoming more prominent such as low income households being unable to afford children, LGBT youth rejection, and domestic abuse leading to children leaving home. Now, vagrancy has a severely negative impact on the development of young people as it inhibits them from developing academically, socially, and mentally and can also expose them to diseases and potentially various types of abuse, such as sexual and substance abuse. This is an issue that should be addressed, for the rising generations are America’s future, and so investing in the overall well-being of the
The YMCA is the nation's largest not-for-profit community service organization in America. With more than 2,500 YMCAs, they are able to meet the health and social service needs of 18.9 million men, women and children in over 10,000 communities in the United States. No one is turned away from the Y. It is a place for people fo all faiths, races, abilities, ages and incomes. Inability to pay is never a reason for the YMCA to turn someone away. Their strength lies in fulfilling their goal of bringing people together.
These challenges create a youth that is not prepared to compete in our competitive society.... ... middle of paper ... ...(2013, October ). Education for Homeless Children and Youths Program. Greensboro: U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/homeless/data-comp-0910-1112.pdf.
Younger camp also completed a Youth Voices survey. Day Camps used a post evaluation survey to obtain information regarding what campers enjoyed and what knowledge they gained. Results for these evaluation are attached to the agent’s Digital Measure’s Productivity Chart.
Established in 1905, the YWCA K-W has successfully operated as a charitable organization that strives to provide multi service and community based programs for women and children. This organization is governed by a body of directors which include fifteens individuals from different professional fields such as counsellors, social workers, and doctors. While this organization employs professionals, to be financially sustainable YWCA K-W utilizes grants, donations, investments, and program revenues. With this is mind, YWCA K-W aims to foster “an equitable world where women, families, youth, and children thrive in inclusive communities”. K-W’s mission statement includes the promise to “support the enrichment of the lives of women, families, youth,
Imagination plays a crucial role in creating communities and its identity. Fiction, in this case will cover both absolute fabrications and biases in the discourse of history's narration. History can be malleable in the hands of narrators, which they use to unite their audience into a common interpretation of their history. Alicia Barber, The author of the essay, Local Places, National Spaces: Public Memory, Community Identity and Landscape at Scotts Bluff National Monument, talks about two community's disagreement on a tourist spot's proper use and maintenance. Barber analyzes the community's relations to the landmark and how it affects the discourse of history's narration, the malleability of public memory, and how it all connects with community identity. Michael Ignatieff wrote about a civil struggle between two groups who identify themselves very differently from each other. In his analysis, he mixed his personal account of the situation, explaining the role of narcissism in the discourse of history's narration. His essay, The Warrior's Honor: Ethic War and the Modern Conscience, describes a more radical conflict from fabricated major differences. These two authors describe two very different approach to their conflicts, but their discourse to the narration of their history are similar. Their fabrications and biased narrations stem from their egocentric imaginations that support their identity.
The National Coalition for the Homeless (2006) is the most effective strategy as it seeks to address the problem of homelessness through various means, including volunteer work, advocacy efforts, and contributions. Firstly, the strategy requires people to volunteer their time to work directly with the victims of homelessness in the city to help them meet their immediate needs. People can volunteer their time to work with children in various programs, share hobbies, and help build houses and shelters among others (Miller, Hess, & Orthmann, 2011). This is extremely important and can help victims of homelessness to acquire some of the basic needs they lack.
As previously discussed, homelessness among youth in the Houston / Harris County area is a growing population with far reaching consequences for this group. They can be identified as a cultural group as they identify with others who have shared experiences and commonalities. Some of the serious struggles, identified in part I, homeless youth face are the increased probability of becoming victimized on the streets, higher risk of being infected with a STD or HIV, becoming pregnant, entering the criminal justice system, not having access to medical treatment, employment, housing, or education and job training. Without resiliency, the bleak outlook on life has the power to destroy their self-efficacy leaving them with low self-esteem. Both tangible, as well as, intangible resources have been identified to assist youth facing homelessness. Likewise, many studies have been conducted regarding intervention plans and their effectiveness that show great promise. Specifically, this intervention plan will look at a strengths based method, an out-reach model, and an alternative approach to formulate an intervention method.
People often fail to see the life-changing role sports can play for at-risk youth in low-income urban neighborhoods and the need for more sports-based youth programs to reduce crime and increase high school graduation rates in our cities. An article written about a year ago about “Royals, local government team up to open a youth urban baseball academy at 18th and vine,” The Kansas City Mayor calls it a dream and others called it a fairytale. Projects like this don’t come very often, or at least not nearly as often as we’d all like. They are calling it the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy. The possibilities are incredible. On the surface, they will be teaching baseball to kids from 6 to 18 years old, but really, they want to be doing much more than that. The only way communities can progress and build infrastructures like this one in areas that are termed as gang infested areas like this one is by spreading the message of love in community related events such as
Thinking about normal social interactions and normal social behaviors, I think of comfortable. When I sit down with a friend, a usual routine is followed, “Hey, how are you, what’s new?” (e.g. My turn, your turn). These questions between my friend and I include eye contact, attention, and facial expression. Usually, I feel that I give my friend my undivided attention. Other normal characteristics include: remembering what the person has just said so a comment can be made, as well as each comment is appropriate and in relation to the current topic. Moreover, the duration between each question or comment is short.
...cts are unknown. Preliminary data indicates the Youth Advisory Council model, one example of the community problem-solving approach, may be a promising avenue for engaging young people. Additional longitudinal research in coming years will be crucial in developing more definitive conclusions. Anecdotally, many students find great value in the program, indicating it develops leadership skills and provides motivation for further community participation. The participants are not the only beneficiaries, however. Through thorough planning and thoughtful implementation, the sponsoring agency and broader community gain significantly from such a process. Involving young people in addressing community problems at the local level can infuse new life into agencies and communities, while helping to prepare young people to become active, engaged citizens in our democracy.
Youth Led Community Programs- to help reduce drug activities and to make the neighborhood less vulnerable for those types of activities.