GREENVILLE — “The world teenagers are growing up in today is much different than the one I grew up in,” said Neal Crawford, executive director of Youth for Christ of the Miami Valley. “While having nearly all of the world’s knowledge available at teens’ fingertips makes some things much easier than in the past, the predominance of broken families and decreasing attention to faith and values has left many teenagers that we work with struggling to make sense out of life and find their way.”
Many young people in this area are struggling to find their way, but Greenville Federal made an investment recently to help Youth for Christ make a difference in their lives. Greenville Federal did this by to help underwrite two upcoming events: The YFC Golf Classic, which will take place on June 22, and YFC’s fall banquets, which will take place in November. Each of these events will raise additional dollars to benefit teenagers, which means Greenville Federal’s contribution will be multiplied several times over in children’s lives.
“Investing back to local communities has long been a trademark in the history of Greenville Federal, the oldest bank headquartered in Darke County,” said Jeff Kniese, president and CEO of Greenville Federal. “We are proud to be part of such programs that reach out to young people with direction and hope.”
Through a team of more than 75 selfless ministry volunteers and four full-time staff members, Youth for Christ connected with more than 1,050 different teenagers in Darke and Preble counties this past school year. Though the interactions with some of these teens were minimal, others have come to think of Youth for Christ and its various programs (Campus Life, Campus Life M, Core Club) as an important lifeline. In fact, at YFC’s Volunteer Appreciation Dinner last month, at least a dozen kids shared testimonies about how their lives have been affected for good. Many spoke about YFC as a “family,” some shared about behaviors they’ve found help to change, and still others told that they’ve begun to follow Jesus because of someone they met through YFC. These teens are only a small sample of the many others who benefited from YFC’s work in the past year.
The work of Youth for Christ has great impact in our area because hundreds of people invest in teenagers through their time, talents, contributions, and prayers alongside YFC. In fact, nearly 1,000 adults are involved each year in at least one of these ways. For those who would like to make a difference for teens and have a great experience as well, the upcoming YFC Golf Classic might be a great way to start.
This year’s YFC Golf Classic will take place at White Springs Golf Club, which has been kind enough to donate their course for the event each of the past 25 years. The event will kick off at 9 a.m. using a scramble format. Those interested in golfing can register as an individual for $100 or enter a team for $350. Other options including raising pledges for YFC ministry or upgrading to “Gold Class” for twice the amount. Everyone that golfs will be greeted with doughnuts and coffee when they arrive and then be served hot dogs, burgers, and other food items all throughout the day.
Those who opt for “Gold Class” will receive additional amenities such as ribeye steaks, a complimentary golf shirt, and other enhancements. Those who obtain pledges to benefit local teenagers are also eligible for top fundraising prizes, which include two very nice golf clubs, a “Fitbit” fitness band, a $100 Ace Hardware gift card, and a golf trip to the Hueston Woods State Park Resort. Business sponsors are wanted as well to help reach this year’s goal of raising $20,000 to benefit area young people. Those interested in more information should call Youth for Christ at 548-2477 or e-mail YFC at [email protected].
