MAYC has received some great press in the last few months!  Have you seen it? 

First of all, check out this article from last week’s Janesville Gazette: http://www.gazettextra.com/news/2012/feb/16/milton-area-youth-center-seeks-community-support/ . I especially love the pictures included with the article; the students featured were thrilled with their 24 hours of fame.

Next, I hope you had an opportunity to see our article in the winter edition of Great People Great Stories magazine.  This feature chronicles the story of MAYC’s origins and illustrates how we carry out our mission each day. If you’ve not seen it yet, you can click on this link: http://gpgsmagazine.com/latest_issue.html ; then hit “next page” until you reach page 6 which looks like the image to the left.

One more thing- if you haven’t yet, please “like” our page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/miltonareayouthcenter  and/or join the Milton Area Youth Center Facebook group.  The Milton Area Youth Center group is updated every few days about regular happenings at MAYC, while the Milton Area Youth Center page is updated less frequently and shares the "big picture" outlook.

There are so many great things happening at MAYC and in the lives of the students who go there- not to mention the rewarding experiences recounted by our mentors!  Wouldn't you like to get involved?

January is traditionally the month of new beginnings.  This is especially true for us at MAYC; 2012 marks our first full year of operation!  Last March, when MAYC opened, the need for a youth center was apparent, but it was unknown how many students would actually get involved.  Today we can say that the overwhelming response from our students is proof that this need is successfully being met!

As we look back, we give thanks for the "seed money" that was given by many who wanted to see MAYC become a reality.  These funds were put to good use, and just look at how the vision has been realized!  In this new year, however, we must develop a strong foundation of consistent community support to allow this vision to thrive and grow.

A few weeks ago our board voted to accept our first-ever annual budget. This was very exciting to me, not only because I'm a geek and it gives me a new spreadsheet to play with, but also because it's a symbol of faith.  Hebrews 11:1 tells us that "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  The revenue lines in this budget represent the faith we have in our community to support our mission by partnering with MAYC financially.

One very tangible and effective way to partner with us is by participating in our MAYC Hero student sponsorship campaign.  By pledging to sponsor one of our students for $20, $30 or $50 each month, you are enabling us to continue our mission of providing a safe place for our 7th, 8th and 9th graders to interact with positive role models on a daily basis.  Back to the budget, to accomplish January's goal of student sponsorships, we still need several individuals to step up and become MAYC Heroes within the week!  Wouldn't you like to be a Hero to the middle schoolers in our community?

For more information, click on the MAYC Heroes tab on the left or contact me through email- mayc,director@gmail.org.

When I tell people that I’m the director of a brand new youth center they usually say something like “Wow, you’ve got your work cut out for you!”  They’re absolutely right!  Whether I’m telling a teen he’s kicked out for bullying or I’m out in the community attempting to raise funds to sustain our daily operations, whether I’m facing an afternoon where four mentors call at the last minute to say they can’t make it or I’m attempting to maintain personal balance between my family, work at MAYC and my responsibilities at church, I am met with interesting challenges every day.

There’s another remarkable interaction that I’ve had recently with several people.  This is when they approach me and ask in a somber, very sympathetic tone, “How are you?  How are things at MAYC?” as if they’re expecting me to break down and cry or tell them some dreadful story about what’s going on at the youth center.  Don’t get me wrong- I am amazingly blessed to have people who care about my well-being and who are concerned about the success of Milton Area Youth Center.  It’s good to know that when I do need to break down and cry or have a dreadful story to share those people are there for me. 

But the truth is, I absolutely love what I am doing!  Amidst the manifested teen angst, the financial challenges and the unexpectedness each day brings, I find joy in two things: the way these tests have caused my relationship with God to deepen to a new level of richness, and the difference I see in the lives of the young people I am privileged to hang out with from 3:00 to 6:00 every school day.  For the rest of this post, I’m going to focus on the latter as I share some stories with you.

_ At the beginning of the school year one ninth-grader stood out as a loud  bully with less-than-positive language.  I can’t tell you the number of times he was asked by mentors and me to turn down the volume of his voice, to scale back his behavior and to stop cussing at the youth center!  As we’ve had the opportunity to form a relationship with this young man his behavior has changed slowly over time.  Now we enjoy his time at MAYC; his true personality, wit and even charm are apparent.

 Last week he came to talk to me about another teen whose behavior has been less than stellar.  My reply was, “You’re right that this person can be difficult, but you know what?  You were difficult at the beginning of the school year and look at you now!  You’re an inspiration to me; you give me hope that, in time, this person will also change his ways.”

He thought for a minute and said, “You know what changed my behavior?   It was when I told you I wanted to be a teen mentor next year and you said I’d have to prove to you this year that I could be a good role model.  That made me want to change.”  What a great affirmation that we are making a difference in these teens’ lives!  No wonder I love my job!

_ My husband Craig volunteers at MAYC on his day off.  Last Wednesday he gathered all the kids together and told them whoever sat quietly and listened the best would win $20.  I’ve never seen such an attentive audience!  Yes, that money had influence, but I also observed kids really soaking in and processing what Craig was telling them as he used a $20 bill to share an inspirational message about self-worth.  The students were really engaged, answering Craig’s questions and asking their own questions of Craig.  At the end it was really difficult to choose who had listened the best because everyone had been so well-behaved!  I asked them if they’d want more little “talks” like that and the answer was a resounding yes!  These kids are hungry for affirmation and hope, and we are here to provide it- another reason I love my job!

_ One more story- one of the girls at the youth center inspired me on Monday.  She shared with me that over the weekend she had been talking to a friend who lived far away and that friend had said he was thinking about committing suicide.  This concerned our student so much that she turned to the internet to search for anti-suicide information.  She found an amazing website called To Write Love on Her Arm.  Instead of telling about that here, I would encourage you to check out their very inspirational story on their website: twloha.com.  Our student was so moved that she used her iPad to create a presentation about the philosophy and vision of the organization. 

On Monday she couldn’t wait to show me what she had done.  Her presentation brought tears to my eyes, not only because of the story, but also because this girl had found something she cared so strongly about that she took the initiative to grab onto their message and put it in a medium where others could learn about it as well.  Right now she is in the process of making it into a short movie that we’ll be sharing on all of our video-sharing venues (more to come on that soon!).  How could I experience all this and not love my job!?

_ Each day at MAYC my heart is as full as my plate.  The reasons to love what I’m doing outnumber the items on my “to-do” list.  My faith grows each time I recognize that the things happening here are greater than me, our volunteers and our board all put together.  We are witnessing the mission of MAYC being carried out each day, and our vision just keeps on growing!  What’s not to love!?!

_ I’ve just spent my first 24-hours-straight at MAYC. Now, all is quiet, all is clean, all is calm, all is bright… a slight variation from the way things were for the last 18 hours. That’s right- we had a very successful first lock-in at MAYC last night. Venture Crew 471 (look them up on Facebook), a co-ed branch of Boy Scouts chartered by Saint Mary Catholic Church, facilitated an activity-filled all-night event for 20 teens who were invited to the lock-in as a reward for good or improved behavior and for pitching in with daily cleaning at MAYC.

Being a looong-time veteran of youth group lock-ins myself, attending them since I was 10 and leading them since I was 18 , I looked forward to a fun event that would validate students taking ownership in daily living at MAYC. My husband gave me a different perspective, however, when he said, “A lot of these kids have never been to anything like this before. We’re providing a new opportunity for them and a new way for mentors to share a positive influence.” And he was right- most of the kids had never attended a positive, structured overnight activity. Venture Crew 471 gave them all an excellent example of having a great time within the boundaries and guidelines provided by leadership. Thank you Crew!

Simple ideas like listening carefully to instruction, respect, and realizing the importance of teamwork were demonstrated throughout the evening’s activities as six adults and ten college and high school students engaged MAYC’s teens in pool and ping pong tournaments, tug of war, relay races and table games. They also provided an abundance of great food donated by local businesses. Thank you also to those businesses!

My favorite moment came this morning when we were about to eat a delicious breakfast of pancakes and sausage. I asked the kids if anyone wanted to say grace, fully expecting to hear the sound of crickets as an answer. Instead one boy piped right up and volunteered. Even as I bowed my head I expected to hear “Grace,” or “God’s neat- let’s eat,” or something equally irreverent that I hear from time to time, even at my own dining room table.  But instead this young man prayed a very heartfelt prayer, saying “Thank you for the great time we’ve had and thank you for the people who came to do this for us.”  Amen!

Last week's Fabulous Friday was a great success!  In our activities area, we helped more than twenty 7th and 8th grade girls get ready for the Middle School Winter Dance.  We had 54 students sign in over the course of the evening- a new attendance record at MAYC!  We also had 8 mentors assisting- the afternoon would not have been fabulous without them!

Six volunteers survived the initial onslaught of nervous and excited junior high girls.  Before 3:15 seventeen girls had signed up to get their hair done!  Everyone pitched in valiantly; Barbara adeptly wielded the flat iron while peer mentor Seniors Sarah and Lexi drew upon show choir and past prom experience to create hundreds of gorgeous spiral curls.  Callie utilized  her irons expertly, and our one professional stylist, Beth, made girls feel gorgeous as she transformed their do's. 

_Meanwhile Senior mentor Emily painted nails, and I had a great time pretending to be a makeup artist when I wasn't being called away to deal with day to day details.  Overall, we were able to pamper more than 20 girls, helping each one feel special and look beautiful.  We had two boys ask us to flat-iron their hair as well, proving that girls are not the only ones who care about taking time to look good.

_I was so happy with the encouragement I heard each girl receiving as our mentors sincerely praised their unique qualities:  "Your complexion is so beautiful," "look at this gorgeous hair!" "you don't need to wear a lot of makeup because your eyes are so naturally stunning," etc.  What a joy to see these girls walk away with a little more self confidence and poise! 

A special shout out to mentors Liz and David who bravely held down the rest of the fort, making sandwiches, challenging others to video games and keeping an eye on computer usage and sign-in.

Friday was an inspiring, tangible example of MAYC's mission of showing God's love in practical ways through positive role models providing fun and productive activities in a safe social environment.  Thank you mentors!  Your hard work is effectively making a lasting difference in the lives of our teens!

_ Great things are happening on a daily basis at MAYC!  Over the course of the week, more than 30 trained mentors work with me to provide a positive place for 7th, 8th and 9th graders to socialize with peers and interact with our engaging volunteers!  We serve an average of 40 students each afternoon, and have seen more than 200 students at MAYC since we opened last March. We’ve heard from teachers and parents that MAYC has helped improve students’ school attendance, grades and social behavior.  We’re providing a safe place where students can be affirmed and encouraged regularly- something that this age group especially needs as they experience the precarious years of development between childhood and adulthood. 

 MAYC is in a critical phase of growth at the moment.  We’re a young organization, much like the junior high students we serve- in a precarious place of development between the initial inception of MAYC’s vision and the maturity and stability of a well-established non-profit.  As we work toward long-term sustainability we recognize the need for consistent financial support.

Currently everything we provide at MAYC is free to those who attend.  We want all students to feel welcome, and we realize that charging a fee may exclude the students who would most benefit from MAYC’s positive influence.  Consequently, we are turning to those who support our mission and asking, “Would you sponsor these students to ensure their success as well as the success of Milton Area Youth Center?”

That’s what it means to become a MAYC Hero! 

Those who commit to sponsoring a student for $20, $30 or $50 each month will receive a MAYC Hero card which entitles the bearer to great discounts at Milton businesses: 10% off at Charming B’s, Culvers and Dave’s Ace Hardware; $5 off adult haircuts at the Catwalk Salon; 15% off at Milton Family Restaurant to name just a few.  These businesses and others have generously shown their support of MAYC by offering these discounts.  Won’t you show your support by sponsoring students? 

Please consider becoming a MAYC Hero.  You may not be able to leap buildings in a single bound, have x-ray vision or develop spidey senses, but you will be making a positive difference in the lives of individual young people, their families and our community.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me using the form below if you would like more information.

Thank you for your continued support of our mission!

Pamela Thomas
(608) 436-3637
mayc.director@gmail.com


I'd like to hear more about becoming a MAYC HERO!  Please contact me with information about sponsoring one or more students at Milton Area Youth Center!