Churches, schools working together to help at-risk youth
Kids Hope USA, with the support of Elgin Area School District U-46 Superintendent Tony Sanders, will be encouraging local church leaders to partner with area schools to protect at-risk youth in the community from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, at Culver's of South Elgin, 280 Randall Road.
More than a dozen area churches that have committed to seeking and providing volunteer mentors will be in attendance to discuss the challenges and solutions of at-risk youth. Area church leaders not affiliated with the program have been invited to participate to learn more about how to become involved.
U-46 currently has 13 schools that have benefitted from the Kids Hope USA mentoring program. With more than 100 different languages spoken in the U-46 school communities, programs such as Kids Hope USA benefit students to realize their full potential with the support of a consistent, mature mentor. In Illinois, Kids Hope USA works with 43 school districts, including U-46, East Aurora Unit District 131, West Aurora Unit District 129, Waukegan Unit District 60, Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54, Palatine Township Elementary District 15 and Rockford District 205.
"As we celebrate our 20th anniversary as an organization this year, I couldn't be more proud of the level of excellence that Kids Hope USA continues to display. The same request continues to come from superintendents throughout Illinois, 'Will you find a church to partner with each of my schools for the purpose of mentoring our at-risk kids?'" said Annette Forster, Illinois director for Kids Hope USA. "They understand the need to fully embrace the solution to help meet that need through a Kids Hope USA mentor."
"It's just one small way to strengthen the community we do business in, and that is what Culver's has been doing in the Elgin area for over 12 years," said owner Chris Blair, a supporter of Kids Hope USA community initiative.
All area churches are encouraged to attend the complimentary luncheon meeting by calling Annette Forster at (847) 997-7137.
Kids Hope USA is a national mentoring organization that partners one church with one school to mentor the at-risk kids in the public elementary schools. It reaches over 15,000 at-risk kids in 34 states across the country. Kids Hope USA offers churches and schools a proven, award-winning model to meet the emotional, social and academic needs of children. Kids Hope USA programs create one-on-one mentoring relationships between adult church members, willing to give a little time and a lot of love, to at-risk elementary schoolchildren in their community who need caring adults in their lives. Utilizing the existing structures of churches and elementary schools as the framework for these programs, Kids Hope USA has created successful, sustainable and life-changing church-school partnerships. For more information about Kids Hope USA, go to www.kidshopeusa.org or call (847) 997-7137.
Culver's restaurants are privately owned and operated, and each franchise partner makes decisions to support local community/school fundraisers or events in their community. They regularly host Share events where a percentage of sales is donated to charity. They also supply free pints of fresh frozen custard to blood donors through the "Give a Pint, Get a Pint" campaign. The Culver's of South Elgin has been owned and operated by the Blair family since opening its doors in 2003.