YouthBuild Acceptance

Sorry to be updating you a day late, but I have to say, I am TOTALLY exhausted!! This week has been so physically and emotionally draining for me and my team. Last night I was just too tired to sit and write so i took a short break.

Friday was the acceptance ceremony for YouthBuild #1, Kerrville Texas!

The team of youth continued to SHOW UP and stuck to their commitment to have no further cuts from the class. We made no cuts and 38 young souls are now YOUTHBUILD #1!! We now have a group of young people who we feel are committed to the program, committed to the demands of the program and TOTALLY COMMITTED to making their life different and taking it on in a HUGE way....I am moved ALMOST beyond words!

My director decided that she wanted me to continue on with MC-ing the ceremony so I was chosen to speak to the family and the crowd that would show up for the event.

The team I work with has really done an amazing job in making this happen, but if it weren't for our Program Director Kimber, this would have never made it to the point we made it to on this night....She is an inspiration and has done soooo much to make this vision a reality.

We decided to have the youth come in early to set up the stage and seating for the crowd. We took the flower pots they build and filled them with flowers and set them around the stage for the community to see. Its really amazing how this group has come together and worked as a team to make not just these flower pots, but the family that IS YouthBuild #1.

We decided at first to have the youth sit in the chairs in front of the crowd but as the crowd started to show up, we realized we would not have enough seats to accommodate all of the attendees. We SHIFTED and decided to have the team stand before the crowd for their acknowledgement.... Once again, the turnout FAR exceeded my expectations.

Not only did we have friends and family show up, we had Judges, The Mayor of Kerrville various elected officials, the press, religious leaders in the community, probation departments as well as just interested people from the community that had heard about YouthBuild....We had a full house!!!

Now take a minute and think about this....Here is a group of young people that didn't fit in with the typical model of school, many have been in trouble continuously, some have NO family and these young adults are the "toss outs" in many aspects.....And today, the community SHOWED UP for THEM!!

Man, once again, I am such a SAP, I was, and am, overwhelmed with emotion!

So we went on with the formalities of the ceremony, did the introductions of the students, gave them their gear...

By the way is a pair of gloves, a hard hat, safety glasses and steel toed boots as well as 4 YouthBuild T-Shirts....And MAN could you see the pride  of them all as they held all of these in their hand.

Now I have spoken in front of many crowds, but for some reason, I was a biiiit nervous speaking to this one....I guess i wanted to be sitting in the seats and watching every single smile, every single tear.....I still am not quite sure what that was about!

At the end of the ceremony, we had the students recite their pledge for the team and then we had them do the RAH-RAH for the crowd....I coached them on the mic. but THEY took on the task!! It was AMAZING!! Here it is for you to see...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAHT7OZX5fE

I have also attached some pictures of this ceremony for you to see. We have a long road ahead, but if this week is any kind of indicator of what we have to look forward to, I am PUMPED!!

This is new for us as a staff and new for these youth....We will have BREAKDOWNS and BREAKTHROUGHS but we will persevere and rise above any of our circumstances....We will learn and grow from each other and I am absolutely certain we will make connections that will last a lifetime....

Ladies and Gentlemen.....HERE is YouthBuild #1 Kerrviile Texas, 2011! OWTFDWIT!!!!!!

                                 YOUTHBUILD BUILDS YOUTH!!