Getting to the Root of the Problem
Compassion in Action
When a friend of City Union Mission’s recently served on jury duty, she was heartbroken to have to send a young man to jail. But instead of shrugging her shoulders, she decided to do something to help other youth avoid the same plight. She sent a donation to the Mission with this letter: “Here is a check I received for jury duty. It was very hard because it involved an 18-year-old boy who had made wrong decisions in his life [because of] lack of guidance. So he has to spend 10 years of his young life in federal prison. I did not feel right about taking money for this jury service. I hope you can help someone out who needs the help and keep them out of an institution.”
Through the Vanderberg Youth Center (VYC) and our summer camp ministry, Mission staff and volunteers pour themselves into at-risk youth from our shelters and the surrounding neighborhoods. At Camp, many children and teens begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Then, during the school year, they can attend the VYC after-school program, where they get tutoring support, participate in Bible studies and even take fun field trips, all the while cementing life-changing relationships with adult Christian role models.
Thanks to this donation and those of many other friends, we will continue to help young people avoid the pitfalls of the street through a relationship with the Lord.
*Name withheld to protect privacy
