House updates!

Volunteering: Studies show that any act of altruism; a selfless act for others, is connected to positive physical and mental effects. Our youth have worked extremely hard to give back to not only their families but their communities as well. Whether volunteering at Feed My Starving Children or making blankets and care packages for the less fortunate, our youth are getting real life hands on experience in doing something for someone else!

YIG: Youth and Government™ is a national program of the YMCA that involves thousands of teens nationwide in state-organized, model-government programs. Students from every corner of the U.S. have the opportunity to immerse themselves in experiential civic engagement and to, quite literally, practice democracy.  Our youth met throughout the year to discuss and debate issues that affect citizens of their state and to propose legislation. The program culminates with teens serving as delegates at their state conference, debating bills on the floor of the legislature.

Cooking: Many of our youth are resistant to traditional types of talk therapy, and we have worked to find creative outlets for our youth, and cooking has been a huge part of that! We have found that cooking for some of our youth has therapeutic value  physically, cognitively, socially and intrapersonally. Cooking as therapy is effective because it encourages creativity. Cooking also makes people feel good about themselves because it’s a way for them to nurture others. For most dishes, there is also a sense of immediate gratification.