Youth Outreach Grants Make a Difference Locally

The We Share Foundation has distributed more than 150 Youth Outreach grants since the program's inception in 1998. Quota International clubs use the U.S.$500 grants to help young people in their own local communities. Take a look at a small portion of the creative ways Quota clubs are making a difference:

• QI of Traverse City
• QI of Gridley
• QI of San Luis Obispo
• QI of Metro Denver
• QI of New Castle
• QI of York
• QI of Kingaroy

QI of Traverse City
Michigan, U.S.A.

Summer vacation became a problem for school children in Traverse Heights, an impoverished area of Michigan's Grand Traverse Region. Children whose parents couldn't afford day care during the off-school months were left unsupervised and at-risk for drug and gang-related activities, household accidents, sexual abuse, and other problems.

Concerned parents and professionals initiated Summer Heights Day Camp to provide accessible, affordable, quality child care for these kids, aged 5 through 12, from June to August, with meals, snacks, and a safe, structured environment.

The Traverse City Quota club, using a Youth Outreach grant, purchased reading materials and games for the camp and provided scholarships for several campers. In addition, club members volunteer at the camp to supervise, mentor, help, and read to the kids. "The need for positive role models in this particular community is great," says club member June Neal. "Our club would like to see this program grow."

And growing it is! Seventy-four campers are enrolled in this summer's program, more than half of whom live below the poverty level. Several students will be sponsored by the club's 2001 donation of $1,125 to the program. "This year, when it came time to dole out our foundation grant money, the club made it loud and clear that they wanted to be involved and even on a larger scale. I know this was a rewarding experience for many members, but I was overwhelmed by the club's positive response to doing it again!" says club grants chair June Neal.

The Traverse City club will provide storytelling and games every Wednesday during this summer's camp and some members will volunteer as lunchtime buddies to spend time with the children. While it offers tremendous support to local youth in need, the project offers great rewards to the Quota club.

Says June, "The value to our club is immeasurable. I believe activities like this, where members can see their money and their efforts being used effectively, will help build the club and draw the town's attention to Quota International of Traverse City."

QI of Gridley
California, U.S.A.

Caring About Kids! is a program run by two members of the Gridley Quota club to recruit, screen, train, and certify youth mentors. The mentors, who include several other club members, meet their proteges at school for five one-hour sessions before, with parental permission, they can arrange meetings wherever they like.

Using a Youth Outreach grant, the Gridley club sponsored an appreciation dinner for mentors to encourage them in this valuable service work.

QI of San Luis Obispo
California, U.S.A.

Elsewhere in the Golden State, the SLO Quota club assists an established program administered by the county health services department called the Teen Academic Parenting Program (TAPP). A Youth Outreach grant provided books and educational materials for the program, but club members also offer themselves to help the girls directly.

While social workers provide parenting education and other assistance to the young mothers, Quotarians volunteer as mentors to assist the girls throughout their pregnancies and after the babies are born to encourage them to finish high school. The one-on-one mentoring usually includes academic assistance through tutoring and, sometimes, tending the baby while homework is done.

Young mothers who complete the TAPP program and want to pursue higher education get continued help from the Quota club through grants for the purchase of books, transportation, and child care during college years.

Successful graduates of TAPP, in which Quota has participated for many years, are among the program's best supporters. Many attend club meetings as guest speakers to encourage the club's continued participation in this valuable program, which not only encourages education and literacy among these young women, but also serves to give a better start to their children.

QI of Metro Denver
Colorado, U.S.A.

In a program similar to the one in San Luis Obispo, Metro Denver Quotarians also help young mothers stay in school through participation in a school-run parenting program.

The Quota club sponsors the Young Parenting Program of Aurora, and club members volunteer as mentors for teen mothers to provide listening ears for the girls as well as practical advice on parenting and academics. The mentors generally serve many hours tutoring and offering homework assistance.

The club also provides equipment and supplies for the nursery that is operated during school hours for participants of the Parenting Program. The nursery allows the club to help the babies directly by offering quality child care that encourages language development, which provides immeasurable benefits to the families and the community.

QI of New Castle
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

A New Castle Quotarian works as the youth coordinator for a Baptist church in her Pennsylvania town, located north of Pittsburgh. In that job, Eleanora Morgan runs an after-school program for local children in need of safe haven until their parents get home from work.

The program includes tutoring, homework assistance, arts and crafts projects, and supervised playtime. Two consecutive Youth Outreach grants have supported this valuable outreach.

New Castle club past president Connie Michael says the program fills a great need in the community. "These kids are from low-income families, so they would be alone after school without this program," she explains. "Several of our club members help out as volunteers, especially with the crafts. It gives the children some structure after school, but sometimes it just gives them someone to talk to. It means a lot to them, even if we tend to take something so little for granted."

QI of York
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

On the opposite side of the Keystone State, the York Quota club is involved in a similar after-school program, also supported by We Share Foundation Youth Outreach grants. The supervised program at a local church offers tutoring, study groups, mentoring, computer training, field trips, community service, some support services, and a place where caring adults are ready to listen.

In addition to offering monetary support and providing snacks for the children, York Quotarians also give time to the program, serving as volunteer tutors and running a reading workshop that was initiated by the club.

QI of Kingaroy
Queensland, Australia

Quotarians in Kingaroy know that looking good can lead to feeling good about one's self. So, using a Youth Outreach grant from the We Share Foundation, the club organized a grooming and modeling course for local teenaged girls.

Club secretary Joyce Peterson says, "The students who participated in the course gained confidence and knowledge of fashions suitable for various occasions and are looking forward to doing a similar course again."

One participant said the program was "the biggest and best day of my life, and I will never forget it!"

—Mary Margaret Yodzis, Senior Writer
© 2001

For more Youth Outreach stories, see the May 2001 issue of Quota Caring.