By Jeff Griffith | Chief Operating Officer
Happy new year! As our first project report of 2025 we would like to begin by thanking each and every one of you for youth support and donations! 2024 saw our youth soar higher than before, our agency receive local, state, and national recognition for our work, and the non-profit world has gone through unprecedented change regarding federal grants and programs. But, through it all, we have counted on our friends, families, and you to make sure we are doing the work we are privileged to do.
As we start the new year, we have been adjusting to new federal regulations, rules, and constantly changing political landscapes to continue to provide excellent service for our youth and their families. Now more than ever, we need to rely on your support and donations to continue to provide much needed training, workshops, and skill-building sessions for our youth who are graduating high school and going to college or directly into careers.
The great aspect of our federal grants is that they provide for basic necessities for our program – staff to work with our youth, an office space to host our trainings, and the dollars to keep the lights turned on and computers processing. However, it is the necessary things kids need that aren’t provided for in our contracts that are oh so important. Using GlobalGiving funds donated by people like you all over the world, we bought a stethoscope and oximeter for one of our youths in a nursing program so she could start her second year of training with the necessary tools.
We also purchased a sturdy pair of boots and some coveralls for a youth beginning his career in a skilled trades training program. While he could afford a less expensive pair of boots and some patchwork coveralls, your donations allowed him to start his career with quality work boots that should last 10 years rather than 1 or 2 years of heavy use working outside in Michigan. When speaking with the young man, he was especially grateful for the quality of what we were able to provide. Upon receiving a heartfelt “Thank you,” I reminded him that he had an entire community of staff, donors, and board of directors behind him expecting his success. I have no doubt we will see our kindness returned with a brighter future for this young man.
The last example of what we utilize our funds from GlobalGiving for is to make sure our youth are safe. Last fall, a young man was homeless, and his attendance at our trainings was spotty. When our dedicated staff finally got to the bottom of what he was experiencing, we knew we had to make sure he knew that we had his back. None of our grant funding covered temporary housing, and all the shelters (at the time) that he was eligible for had any space available. In an instant, we knew we had to get this young man into stable, temporary housing until we can work with our housing partners to lock him into a more permanent situation. So, we utilized private donated funds (including those from GlobalGiving) to get him into a short-term motel and get him the necessities he needed to begin to rebuild his life.
In all these situations, having access to unrestricted funds to help our youth when they needed it most was so critical. The young men and women who received them were extremely grateful and all of them are continuing to build their resumes and skills to launch their careers. And it is all because of you! Your support has helped us provide a hand-up to these and countless other kids to get them started on the right track.
Coming up later this spring for The Youth Connection is our biggest fundraiser of the year – the 2025 Chiefs Cooking for Kids being held in Detroit on May 22nd. It is a tremendous night of food, fun, and heartfelt stories from the youth we have helped over the years. The event centers around 18 Chiefs of Fire, Police, and Corporations/Agencies in metropolitan Detroit serving their favorite recipes to attendees who get to judge which Chief will be crowned “Chief Chef.” We’ll also have music, dancing, and a silent auction filled with fantastic items, experiences, and tickets to area attractions and activities. This is our first year since COVID-19 that we are bringing this event back and we hope you will consider attending. All of the proceeds (minus expenses) will go directly to supporting youth in our programs. For more information, please visit our website at www.theyouthconnection.org.
We would like to conclude by thanking our GlobalGiving family once again for your support throughout the years. Your donations have directly provided our kids with many necessary resources to help us make sure they are on the right path to a brighter future! Thank you!
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By Jeff Griffith | Chief Operating Officer
By Jeff Griffith | Chief Operating Officer
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