Your actions may seem innocent enough. You really think you can trust people. Beautiful relationships flourish in emotional privacy. A seed grows in the stillness of the soil. A butterfly is shaped in it's cocoon. A diamond is formed hidden under pressure. A pearl is formed concealed in an oyster. You were not meant to expose yourself to the world unless the purpose is to multiply beauty. Sexting multiplies lust. Sexting Can Be Hazardous To Your Emotional Health.

You don't have to see
the whole face of a child
to know they are smiling. Sometimes the eyes are smiling. Sometimes the heart is smiling. Do you take the time to notice when a child's heart is not smiling?

Mentoring is not an exact science. A mentoring relationship is shaped by the emotional state of the young person. Compassion is a skill needed for anyone who is interested in becoming a mentor. Preconceived attitudes are useless when forming a mentoring relationship. A fresh, judgement-free slate is the only starting point for mentoring. The following mentoring description is only a partial glimpse into effective mentoring practices. Please call us if you need help, 716-830-8240

A Brief Overview of the YWAP Relationship Mentoring Program

     Youth With A Purpose is celebrating our 10th year of serving young people in Western New York. YWAP is one of the premier youth mentoring organizations in Buffalo. We are proud of the thousands of young people who are now out changing the world.

     The YWAP Relationship Mentoring begins with interactive discussions in the home, community center, classroom and in the neighborhood. The program builds throughout the school year eventually leaving the classroom and heading into the wilderness areas of the Adirondack Mountains. The students will be taught life skills that are applicable in the classroom and in the great outdoors. They will climb the highest mountains in New York and learn how to climb the mountains of life.

     Our YWAP facilitators are trained Character Education Specialists who are passionate about teaching healthy relationship skills.  Most of the topics covered cannot be discussed during regular classroom sessions due to the teacher’s responsibility to deliver curriculum based material that the students will be tested on. Instruction time is precious for a teacher. We make sure our students feel valued and invite them into the learning process as willing participants. We are all teacher/students capable of learning from each other during the relationship building process.

     Students need time to explore the issues that so heavily impact their lives. There is fruit from this kind of outlet for the students. Some will be encouraged to seek help in the form of counseling. We encourage them to not keep their fears and worries all “bottled up” inside. There is freedom in opening up. Stress and pressure are relieved. They feel better knowing that we all deal with the same issues and that they are not alone.

       YWAP Relationship Mentors are trained in Power Moment Mentoring. By building personal relationships with the young people that we mentor, we develop the ability to recognize the emotional state of the present moment. There is a cause and effect for each emotional moment. A student who has learned how to deal with emotional stress and pressure, will have more freedom to focus on academic achievement. We mentor one moment at a time.

 

All YWAP programs are centered on positive peer influence.

·        Our After School Program features healthy eating, physical activities, counseling and tutoring. Our Program on the West Side of Buffalo is open year round.

·        Our In School Program works in the classroom during labs, study halls, Social Studies and Health Class in a positive peer group session. We also involve the students in assemblies.

·        The YWAP Speakers Bureau includes individuals who speak about: HIV/AIDS, Addiction, Prison Experience, Suicide, Fatherhood, Teen Pregnancy, Gangs and other subjects relevant to young people.

·        We have many Leadership Camps throughout the year.

·        We take small groups on Wilderness Treks into the Adirondack Wilderness Area to climb mountains.

·        We partner with the Administration and Faculty in identifying academic needs as well as behavioral intervention and prevention.

·        Topics covered include: Peer pressure, conflict resolution, goal setting, bullying, decision making, self accountability, personal relationships, entrepreneurial skills and study habits.

·        When needed, YWAP is involved in every aspect of a young person’s life. We are with them at home, in school and in the neighborhood. We attend their athletic events, court sessions, counseling sessions, family events and any other event that helps us wrap that young person in a safe environment, physically, mentally and emotionally.

·        YWAP offers workshops for organizations desiring to become Certified in Relationship Mentoring.

 At YWAP, we teach young people how to climb the mountains of life.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Boaz Basketball will be bouncing some character skills on Saturday 3/23/13 from 10am-1pm at Holy Cross, 345 7th St.

The fine looking fellow in this picture is a Koala Bear. According to Wikipedia, the Kola is the only animal with a strangely reduced brain. Scientists believe this is because of a diet low in energy.

We are not low on energy during Boaz Basketball and we will enlarge the territory of knowledge in our brains. Boaz had humility and YWAPsters will learn about humility. At YWAP, we describe humility as:

Thanks for your time.
Go explain humility to somebody by serving them.

This picture is from the Breakout/LoveBuffalo gathering on the West Side of Buffalo. Hundreds of young people converged on the neighborhood to serve and spread love through action.




These ladies were phenomenal! They worked hard with smiles and they kept on asking "What else can I do?"
Jesus loves you guys and so do we. — with Autumn Elizabeth Deres, Lucy LaPlaca, Abby LaPlaca, Bob Kuebler, Katie Lovering and Alexis Baun.

We were sitting in the Youth Center eating and chatting when we heard several loud noises that seemed to come from outside the building. From experience, we knew the noises were not gunshots, (we have heard them before) but we knew something had happened. I ran out the side door and saw that there had been an accident. The man standing next to his demolished car was the former YWAP Assistant Director. Both he and his wife were very shaken up without sustaining any serious injuries.

This was the scene from the door of the Youth Center. The driver of the other vehicle was being extricated from an allegedly stolen vehicle. The extrication involving scores of emergency personnel took over 45 minutes.

Many young people witnessed this event and heard the story about how a man from YWAP gave God credit for keeping him and his wife alive to tell His story.

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.

Yeah, maybe this is a future smile! At YWAP we believe that all children are gifted on both sides of the womb.

Some folks say that it's better to abort a baby who will have a hard time in life or they might have a bad Mom. Imagine telling a seed in the lonely dirt not to grow because you will face tsunamis, blizzards and earthquakes. Life is hard sometimes and that's good because that's how life helps us to become stronger, more appreciative and grateful.



Thanks for your time.
Go do something nice for somebody
no matter how hard it is.

The YWAP Van is actually a Mobile Mentoring Unit. We pick up and drop off a large number of young people on most days of the week. It's a beautiful place to have captivating discussions. The music is controlled by the YWAP Chauffeur. Tonight we played a CD from the folks at The Chapel called: "The Worth It All Project."

The music was part of a project to raise money to rescue and restore young people who have been victims of the sex trade in Cambodia. The CD includes a picture of a mosaic that is made up of the prayers of this generation and represents the face of every girl in the sex trafficking slave trade. We had a heart felt, compassionate discussion about sexual slavery.