DARKE COUNTY – Can you be a hero while sitting at home? Youth for Christ believes the answer to that question is, “Yes!” and is showing people how they can be a hero for a local teenager through its “Heroes from Home” campaign, which will take place on Sept. 21-26.
More than 9,000 teenagers live in Darke and Preble Counties, and more than 70 percent of them are not connected to a church or other ministry and are not receiving religious teaching or direction at home.
While some might argue that faith is not important, most people would agree that many young people struggle with important issues such as feeling valued, having respect for life, or finding purpose and direction. Youth for Christ helps teenagers with all of these issues as “YFC” volunteers come alongside them and help them to come to know Christ.
Last school year, a team of more than 50 Youth for Christ volunteers interacted with more than 1,000 local teenagers at 12 different ministry sites. As a result, numerous teenagers have experienced positive transformation, as is evident from the many testimonials that have been shared. The “Heroes from Home” campaign is an opportunity for members of our community to join in a movement to impact teenagers’ lives now and for eternity.
“The purpose of the “Heroes from Home” campaign is to show adults in our community that every person can make a difference in a teenager’s life even if they don’t feel like they relate well to teens or have the knowledge or skills necessary for ministry,” says Neal Crawford, Executive Director of Youth for Christ of the Miami Valley. “Throughout the month of September we’ll communicate that message through a variety of mediums including even public appearances by YFC’s new superhero mascot, “YFC Guy.” On September 21-26, Youth for Christ will conclude the campaign by giving people the opportunity to be “Heroes from Home” while taking one or more actions to benefit kids.”
During that last week of September, individuals are encouraged to “Help a kid!” and to do that, they can “donate, enroll, or bid.” Each of these actions can be taken online, by phone, or even by mail. Here’s a short description of each of these opportunities.
* Donate: You can support YFC’s mission at any time during the year, but on September 21-26 Youth for Christ is asking people to especially consider an investment in teenagers through the campaign. People already connected with YFC will receive an invitation to support the cause either through the mail or electronically, but those who don’t receive a direct invitation can still participate by going to yfcmv.org/heroes. Contributors are also asked to consider signing up for recurring gifts through their bank’s bill pay service on the yfcmv website. That way, they can make the most consistent difference in kids’ lives through YFC.
* Enroll: Sign up with Kroger and Amazon to have money rebated to Youth for Christ for each purchase you make when you show your Kroger Plus Card or through Amazon’s “Smile” site. Neither of these opportunities increase your cost in any way, but both let you make a difference in kids’ lives each time you shop. You can learn more and enroll at yfcmv.org/heroes
* Bid: Youth for Christ has some great merchandise, sports tickets, and gift certificates to be sold at the Heroes from Home Online Auction the week of Sept. 21. Sale bills will be distributed a couple weeks before the sale, or you can see the items collected so far by using the “bid” link at yfcmv.org/heroes. For those not comfortable with bidding online, don’t worry. You can also call in or drop off your bids, and all items will be available for inspection the week before the sale. Call-in bidders will submit their maximum bid for items, which will only be reached if other bidders drive up the price.
Between now and Sept. 21, you may notice Youth for Christ being more visible online and through local media and yard signs as YFC shares stories about lives that are being changed and informs people about how they can be a hero in a young person’s life, not just from home, but also “in the field” sharing their faith and love. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about the upcoming “Heroes from Home” campaign, check out yfcmv.org/heroes or call 937-548-2477.
