Letter to the Editor

Coalition seeks to unite youth service providers

Thursday, May 17, 2012

To the editor:

A group of youth-oriented community members established a new organization, Blytheville Youth Coalition (BYC). The mission is: Uniting to serve the youth of Blytheville by helping them become empowered and better prepared for the future. This effort was originated from Blytheville Emerging Communities Initiative (ECI) with the assistance of community coach Ken Hubbell. The Clinton School of Public Service Center on Community Philanthropy and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation make these efforts possible.

The Blytheville Youth Coalition is an organization for all youth programs to collaborate, unite and provide an opportunity to support each other's activities. Each youth program will maintain its own identity, functionality and location. Unity in youth providers will inspire hope, present positive possibilities and promote life-long learning for our youth and provide youth the opportunity to collaborate with friends, and engage in year round creative activities. We can meet this goal by providing a Blytheville Youth Coalition that will enhance their creative minds and provide an opportunity to achieve individuality, give and gain respect, and improve the level of community awareness.

Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, "We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future."

Blytheville Youth Coalition's Values: Build character, nurture leadership, service above self, provide opportunities, access scholarships.

Goals: Unity among youth providers, leverage human and financial resources, build capacity of youth providers, provide networking opportunities to providers and youth and develop a trainer network for providers and youth.

The first event hosted by the BYC will be a 2012 Youth Program Exposition and BYC Grand Opening. This exciting event will introduce the BYC to the general public and we invite all local youth initiatives to set up a booth to display what they have to offer. Please make time to attend and/or participate in this event, Monday, May 21, 5:30 p.m. in the Governors Ballroom at Arkansas Northeastern College. There will be a short program beginning at 6 p.m., and refreshments will be served. Any and Aall youth programs are invited to set up a booth.

Please RSVP as soon as possible with Priscilla Johnson at 870-776-1054, ext. 22 or email cilla.johnson@sbcglobal.net.

Uniting to serve the youth of Blytheville by helping them become empowered and better prepared for the future.

Priscilla Johnson
Blytheville