Youth-Reach is looking for 200 donors to pledge $100 per month

Youth-Reach is looking for 200 donors to pledge $100 per month
By Sally McKinney
In 2005 some citizens in Baldwin County were concerned about troubled, at-risk and delinquent young men aged 18 to 21 who had nowhere to turn when they needed help. The group traveled to Houston, Texas to get information about Youth-Reach that had been serving young men since 1984.
With the help of many, Youth-Reach Gulf Coast opened its doors in 2008 and continues to serve these young men, helping them on the road to sobriety, to repair relationships and to end the cycle of broken homes while addressing their mental, physical and spiritual needs.
The mission is to remold values, instill Godly character and transform lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“We are helping to transform lives through Jesus,” says Director Richard Crawford, himself a graduate of the Houston Youth-Reach. “Character building, good work ethic and leadership skills are high priority. We rely on the power of the Lord to change the lives of these young men.”
Crawford says the spiritual, emotional and physical help at the home takes them from trouble to college, trades and missions.
The Christ-centered non-profit organization houses the young men in a structure of a balanced family and home life, concentrating on developing character, responsibility, and a strong work ethic. The youths volunteer to enter the facility for a minimum of one year and agree to abide by the rules that are geared to help them change their lives. There is no charge to the residents and they can stay as long as they need the help of the experienced staff.
Although there are some funding sources, such as private donations and grants, most are awarded for specific projects, but the every day bills need to be paid. Youth-Reach is a 24/7 home with all the expenses associated with a family household, including utility bills, food, clothing, and a staff of six who provide a variety of services, including counseling. There is no state funding.
The Founder’s Circle has been established to help in providing these funds. Youth-Reach is looking for 200 donors to pledge $100 a month to enable the staff to provide quality service to the young men who are desperately trying to change their lives.
Volunteers help provide some of the food for the young men. Some schedule a time to drop off a meal, a casserole or dessert. Others bring the meal and stay to visit with the young men and get a feeling of what the program offers and how it is changing their lives.
As the staff is limited, volunteers are needed for a variety of on-site duties.  There are some men that rotate work shifts, as they are able, some weekly, some on a monthly basis.
The young men at Youth-Reach have their chores to help run the house, keeping their rooms in order, doing laundry and kitchen duty. They also care for the two cows, two donkeys and a coop filled with chickens.
A Life-Skills Building is under construction to provide a woodworking and mechanic shop. Residents are in the process of caulking, painting and siding the building. Later this summer they will be fencing in the pasture for their cattle, currently a heifer and a calf.
Other needs include a 15-passenger van, a full-size truck, a tractor, a cafeteria building and additional housing for staff and residents.
For more information about Youth-Reach Gulf Coast, visit yrgc.org or call 251-967-4809.

The Youth-Reach residents and staff gather in front of one of the buildings on the 81-acre location in Summerdale. Back row from left are Intern Jackson Bentley, Counselor Josiah Holmes, Stephen Shadrach, Operations Coordinator David Williams, Jonathan Boutwell, Tyler Deardorff, Austin Cowser, Counselor Darrel Dankenbring and Linda Cate-Whiten, chairman of Michele’s Hope, an organization that donated equipment to the facility.