AVERYday Ministries is excited to announce the creation of YOUTH ACT!
ACT! stands for AveryDay Compassion Team and is a program designed to showcase the talents, leadership and compassion of our county’s youth. Open to children in grades 5 through 12, YOUTH ACT! will run concurrently with the September to June school year beginning in September 2013.
YOUTH ACT! is entirely youth led. This means the discussions and decisions will be conducted by and made by children.
So, what exactly, will YOUTH ACT! do?
- Identify a need in Walworth County.
- Publicize that need to the citizens of Walworth County.
- Develop and execute a plan that results in being proactive part of a solution to that need.
For example, in September, children in 5th through 12th grade will be asked to attend the first meeting in which they will brainstorm different needs or causes they would like to bring attention to. The children will vote on one need and, from there, work towards bringing attention to that need or cause and creating a viable solution (or part of a solution).
Needs and cause could range from hunger, homelessness, assisting the elderly; it may include the environment (picking up garbage, clearing out scrub brush, recycling programs) or public facilities (a dilapidated park or playground, or a long forgotten cemetery, firehouse or community center). It may include historical structures or properties or health issues (cancer research, children’s diabetes, heart disease) and, well, anything the kids bring to the table. They discuss it; they decide it.
Why YOUTH ACT? 1 Timothy 4:12 reads, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
We here at AVERYday Ministries believe kids are smart. Kids are intelligent. Kids are incredible. Kids are compassionate. And, truthfully, sometimes kids just do a better job than us adults.
Avery spent much of her young life caring for others. She would see an elderly man eating lunch alone and ask if we could please buy his lunch. She packed care packages for tornado victims. She made cookies and delivered them to friends and neighbors just to brighten their day and put a smile on their face. She was a huge supporter of the Walworth County Relay For Life. Her plans for this year had included raising money to send to Haiti. In fact, she talked about creating a school newspaper to bring attention and awareness to what she felt were issues we should all be compelled to help solve. Her future included mission trips and more helping.
In essence, this is just the sort of thing Avery would have organized and created herself.
If you’re interested in learning more about YOUTH ACT! or wish to be placed on a mailing list for further information, please contact us at averydayministries@yahoo.com
Adult facilitators will be present at each meeting and throughout the entire process. If you are interested in assisting in this capacity please feel free to contact us. You must be able to attend all meetings and scheduled events, as well as be comfortable with allowing these incredible, smart children to discuss and decide the way the program is designed. Remember, the only way for kids to grow in their compassion is to allow them to be responsible for their choices.
