What ever it takes...

Our youth support meetings are exhausting, and as I look around the table at the faces of the people I am privileged to work with, I see worry, bewilderment, fear, and…sometimes amusement. “He did what?”. We just have to laugh.

We go through each name, and check in.
“She is in the recovery home, every one loves her, and since no one has called me, I am going assume she is doing great. I will be seeing her on Thursday”
“He got arrested on the steps of the courthouse for vandalizing the window as he was going in to see the judge. When he gets out, we have to talk to his probation officer to let him go to the retreat”
“She agreed to go to counseling so we have to set up a pick up schedule to take her on a regular basis.”
“He is not dealing with his sister being in a coma, and he is going through a really hard time, so let’s bring him in, keep him close and reach out to his mentor”

We jokingly refer to ourselves as professional stalkers, because we have the most amazing and committed team of youth workers who will: call our kids incessantly, do “drive by’s” where they are known to hang out, pick up the phone at all hours of the night, and do what ever it takes to make sure that our kids have a fighting chance of knowing a life filled with freedom, peace and happiness.

I am so proud to know and work with these individuals. I know that I am a better person thanks to them, and the world is a better place because of them.

Juliana