The nonprofit Youth for America, in Hixson, is launching a fundraiser called Change - Coaching Students. Changing Schools. May 5 from 4-8 p.m. at Soddy-Daisy Veterans Park.
Youth for America Director of Operations Amanda Cox, left, and YFA Director of Partners and Hope Ramona Johnson are working to help change the community through an upcoming fundraiser called Change - Coaching Students. Changing Schools."We are raising funds for local Bible clubs on school campuses. All proceeds will support the clubs," said YFA Director of Partners and Hope Ramona Johnson. "[The fundraiser] is a communitywide family event."
The event will include live gospel singing, youth group drama team skits, a comedy show, a clown performance, balloon art, face painting, inflatables, a fresh market by Maw Hughes Produce, free crafts and a live and silent auction. The auction items range from a Northgate Parts and RV camper to birthday parties to gift cards to dance classes and tickets to local attractions.
The rain date is set for May 26.
YFA Director of Operations Amanda Cox said Youth For America volunteers help train Bible clubs at Hixson High and Soddy-Daisy High schools on strategies, leadership and how to launch a My Hope Tour event on their campus.
"We are all over the state of Tennessee," said Johnson. "The students call us and we help them."
Cox said the more students get engaged in their campus, the better.
"They wake up in the morning with a purpose to live their life like Christ," said Cox. "We've gotten emails from students saying 'I planned to take my life today, but then my friend asked me to this My Hope Tour event and my life was changed.'"
Cox said Youth for America helped Soddy-Daisy High School launch a My Hope Tour event this semester that welcomed 800 students to the school's gym. She said YFA is also helping Bible clubs through iDevo, a short devotional daily reminder telling students to pull out their Bibles at school and read a short devotional with friends.
Bible clubs led by students, for students at HHS and SDHS meet once a week either before or after school.
"As long as schools have extracurricular clubs, then a student has the ability to have a Bible club," said Cox. "The more that students start to be leaders and function in the Christian faith as leaders, people notice."
She said since school topics of bullying and suicide are prevalent throughout the country, leaders in Bible clubs can reach out to students in need to help them overcome obstacles before it is too late.
"Students in Bible clubs will not bully others and they will lend a hand to someone to stop them from taking their own life," said Cox. "It's one student at a time deciding to show the love of Christ to others to set a positive example."
Cox said YFA is trying to put Christ back in America's schools by helping students set Christian examples on campuses.