By: Curt Williams, Founder & Executive Director

Currently, we have sixteen boys in our program here at Youth-Reach with six or seven guys vying for the two open spots. The problem is, there are no open spots….yet. You see, when our Stage One home is full, with all nine beds filled with nine boys, there is a log jam where we need boys to move up to the Stage Two home to make room for new boys to have the opportunity to come into the program.

The open beds are in the Stage Two home and those beds are only available to guys who have earned them. We don’t give away those beds, in a home that comes with both added responsibilities and added privileges, to incoming residents. Those beds are earned.

This is a good problem to have, yet it is a problem. Is it my problem? No. Is it your problem? No. So, whose problem is this? It is a problem for the boys who have been at Stage One for the longest period and have failed to move up.

I have thought a lot about the kind of people who financially support the ministry of Youth-Reach. Invariably they are those who value hard work, who would prefer to give someone a hand up rather than a handout, and those who are willing to sacrifice to give someone a chance to earn a shot at a new life. Yet, they are hesitant to enable the lazy.

The boys who come to Youth-Reach are volunteering to enter a demanding, difficult, high-pressure system with few days off and constant strains on their minds, bodies and spirits. Many enter far behind in their emotional development. They crater under pressure and have not been taught many of the most basic life skills. So here we are, getting them at thirteen, fifteen or seventeen years old, with only a very short window of time to prepare them for the cruel realities of adulthood. So, we must take full advantage of every single day. Hard work and punishments that are as sure as the sunrise and as balanced as possible are assured. Even play times are demanding, rigorous and competitive. Academic progression is expected at every level; there is no place to hide and no cracks to fall through.

We are not trying to create more beta boys but are focused on creating strong leaders, future committed husbands and present fathers.

So when Stage One is full, things grow intense. Competition grows and guys know that to be on the bubble means that if a boy on the waiting list is more desperate than you are, he will likely get your bed and you will be out. How can you possibly put a price tag on the opportunity to change a life? What is the value of a bed here at Youth-Reach? It is astronomical, and we only want boys who value your investment in their lives. Even today, a boy who has proven to be a negative influence on the others and has been a bully has been shown the door and a new boy will be arriving in the next day or two. I celebrate that, and the one who was dismissed may reapply in 30 days. Our success the second time around is almost twice the rate as first-time residents, so we are not afraid to put a kid out.

Your support of Youth-Reach is vital, and your role is pivotal in the lives of the boys that are here today and in the lives of those yet to need our help. We are seeking to be more and more effective every day, and we will never take your generosity for granted. Thank you!