afterschool programbrighter futuresSTARSurban youth development

School Year Review: A look at what God did in 2013-14 (Part 2)

There are just a few weeks of school left, and SCYM’s school-year-based programs have all wrapped up. It’s a great time for our staff to pause and think about how some of our students have changed since last fall, and to give thanks to God for what He’s done in their lives. Here’s Part 2 of a few stories (with names changed) from our staff.

An elementary school-aged boy, “Kaden,” has been part of STARS twice a week for the past two years. He’s experienced a lot of family turmoil in his young life, with no consistent dad or father figure. When he first started at STARS, he was a fountain of anger and emotional challenges — outbursts, defiance of authority, unwillingness to take part in group activities. There were times when Kaden had to be asked to take a break from STARS until he was ready to cooperate. We thank God that he always came back!

Last year, Kaden pleaded for us to find him a mentor (like his older brother has), and we were able to work with his school’s partner church to find him a Kids Hope mentor last fall. (Yeah, church!!)

Many months later, Kaden has made so much progress. Tyler reports that he is functioning much better at STARS and doing his homework, and Tyler often gets to have one-on-one conversation with him and show him the practical attention and kindness that really matter to a kid. We know that Kaden has Jesus in his life and pray that peace will continue to take root in him. This was a young man who from all outward observation was on a path toward prison, and we praise the God who rewrites story that that is no longer true!

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