#RichlandGives Spotlight: Youth for Christ
Hello, my name is Andi King and I am the director of Youth For Christ of Richland County. I work with the juvenile justice ministry and reach out to kids who are incarcerated or who have been involved in the court system. This is such a beautiful ministry. Our group of volunteers goes into facilities locally and reach out to kids who have extremely tough circumstances at home, school, community, and neighborhood. Many of these kids have potentially been forgotten and written off by others, but we have the great privilege to go in and show them the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. We get to remind them of how valuable they are and how the decisions that they have made now do not have to permanently affect their lives for the rest of their lives. YFC has the honor of going into detention centers several times a month. During that time we share about Jesus, bring the kids special snacks and laugh with them! Our focus also continues after the youth leave the facilities. We follow these kids into their schools, their homes, and their neighborhoods by mentoring them and teaching them better decision making, coping skills, and continuing to teach them about Jesus as we build relationships and trust.
This is my first year with Richland Gives and I could not be more excited. I believe not only will this opportunity get the name of Youth For Christ back out into our community but it will also raise awareness and bring in the much-needed funds for our ministry. This is a local mission that is helping at-risk youth in our very own backyards. With all of the things we are facing in our area, this is a positive outreach that is striving to make a difference. Our goal is to bring young people out of the pits of despair that they are in and give them hope for their futures.
