Youth for Christ offers relationships

The Southeast Iowa chapter of Youth for Christ has been staying strong during COVID times. The faith-based nonprofit organization has been working to establish and maintain relationships with kids ages 11 to 19 that are searching for something more.

'We launched Youth for Christ in Southeast Iowa back in 2017, and a lot of what we do is going to where the kids are and helping them find those authentic Christ relationships,” Parnell Davis said. 'Whether it's providing mentorships, after-school programs, helping kids out with their homework, or just showing up to things like basketball games, we really want to create those relationships anyway that the kids need.”

Currently, the Southeast Iowa Youth for Christ has an after-school program in Keokuk and a Monday after-school program in Mt. Pleasant. In addition, they plan to open their youth center in Columbus Junction later this year.

'I read a statistic somewhere that read the majority of teens only have one or two meaningful adult relationships,” he said. 'If we're to help them grow into the great people that they can be, then we need to provide those opportunities for those mentorships.”

Though COVID-19 brought some changes to the program, such as mask and social distancing protocols, Youth for Christ still is prominent in the community.

'COVID might have dampened things at first, but we're still being active,” Davis said. 'This year, we're planning quarterly events with local churches for the Mt. Pleasant kids. The first one on New Year's went really well with over 70 middle schoolers showing up, and we're hoping more kids and churches will get involved.”

With COVID, the Youth for Christ group saw a need in the educational gap. Students were falling behind with their school, so the group created a homework task group to help students after school.

'We're making sure everyone is safe of course,” Davis said. 'But it was really after COVID that we realized just how much these kids need a safe place, to have that intentional relationship that they are craving.”

Davis noted that the teens seem to be enjoying and benefiting from the nonprofit organization.

'There was this one girl that when she saw us for the first time in a while, her eyes and face just lifted up,” Davis said. 'You know, if in the end, we only reach one person, if we only create that one connection, in my eyes, it'll all be worth it.

For more information about Youth for Christ or to volunteer, contact Parnell Davis at pdavis@yfc.net