Brighter Tomorrows July 2009

Jessica was in trouble. She found herself in rehab at the age of 16. She was using drugs and getting into situations that did not have happy endings. Then, she was kicked out of high school. Jessica did not have anywhere to turn.

She always admired and loved her grandpa. He was a carpenter, and cared for his family. One month before Jessica started the YouthBuild program, her grandfather passed away. She knew that she had to do something different in her life, something to make him proud. She sought out YouthBuild and was the first to sign up for the program in the first year that it started in Jefferson County.

Even as she started YouthBuild, Jessica couldn’t leave all the trouble behind. At 17 years old, out of rehab, kicked out of high school, and three months into a program that would help her gain her GED and job skills, Jessica was arrested. The staff at YouthBuild did not turn their back on her. They provided materials so she could receive safety training while she was in jail. All criminal charges were eventually dropped and Jessica returned to YouthBuild right in step with the rest of the class.

YouthBuild participants spend two days a week in GED classes, two days a week in home construction, and every Friday doing community service. Jessica fondly remembers removing a bathtub with a sledgehammer. She said that it was great stress relief working on a home, and connected with her grandpa doing the same work he once did. She was proud of what she was doing. She remembers giving back to the community the first time by painting the local YMCA. “YouthBuild really helped me get my head on straight,” Jessica says, laughing at the notion, “I wish more youth would join.”

When she started YouthBuild, she had tested at an 8th grade reading level. She worked diligently on her GED classes, and said that the staff was very supportive and helpful. Jessica was able to achieve her high school equivalency diploma and graduate with the first class of YouthBuild Jefferson County in May 2007.

Jessica has come a long way from the 16 year old girl who got kicked out of high school. Education is now important to her. She earned her GED, is now enrolled in cosmetology school and has two children. She loves her family, and has a stronger support system with her grandma, who helps watch the kids. On May 11, 2009, her boyfriend also graduated from YouthBuild. They are on their way to providing for their family together.

“It is a really great program. I really like the staff.” Jessica knows the importance of her decisions and how the choice to join YouthBuild has changed her life positively.

United Methodist Children’s Home knows the importance of education, family relationships, and second chances. We have on-campus treatment programs and community based programs focused on getting young people the help they need. Jessica is just one example of so many youth that need our guidance. Please help us provide “Healing Today” so more youth can have “Brighter Tomorrows.”

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