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Ridgecrest Salvation Army gets new youth director
By Mike Bodine
STAFF WRITER
mbodine@ridgecrestca.com
Posted Sep. 28, 2013 @ 12:01 am
Local kids have another place to go in town for fun and adventure that's out of the streets and alleys. The Salvation Army in Ridgecrest has a new full-time Youth Director, is offering weekly activities for the kids, and will put on a family game night once a month.
The new director, Jeni Schaefer said Wednesday she is excited to get on board and ready to get more kids into the church. She started in June.
Envoy Donna Griffin said she is very excited to have Schaefer on board and expects great things from her.The director position is not new, it has always existed, but it had been filled previously with volunteers. It is difficult to keep volunteers in a single position for extended lengths of time. "It's quite a commitment," Schaefer said.
Now, grant money will allow the full-time position to be a paid position. Griffin said consistency is good for the kids to make them feel comfortable. Schaefer's shining face will be available seven days a week.
Youth Nights will be from 5-7 p.m. on Sundays. Schaefer said Sundays were a good day to hold events, as there are few sports or other events happening that night. The once a month family game nights are offered sporadically, but will be announced at least a week in advance. Schaefer said she will updating the local Salvation Army's Facebook page regularly with a calendar of events.
Last week's family night was a movie, complete with popcorn and snacks followed by games. Schaefer has a mountain of family friendly board games to choose from.She said it was a joy for her to sit in fellowship and play games with families.
At last week's family game night she said there were families who had admittedly never sat down and played a game together. There were bright and happy faces on parents and kids alike. Club 316, a scout-like organization, is also offered for kids. It is a character enrichment programs modeled after familiar scouting organizations but with a religious touch.
There are the Girl Guards and, for the boys, the Adventure Corps. Schaefer explained the groups earn badges, go camping and hiking, and learn about human nature. The kids will soon be learning about collecting. If they are in Club 316 they will also be trying to earn a badge. The kids will learn about collecting things such as stamps or coins along with scrapbooking.
Griffin said she invites folks from the community who collect and want to share their hobby with the kids. She said her hopes are that people with all sorts of interests will volunteer to share with the kids. Kids of all ages get together and work on similar badges with varying levels of difficulty. They may be working on a badge for cooking, for example. The younger kids may be adding chocolate chips to a batch of cookie dough while the older kids may be learning the basics of yeast-dough. A badge takes 4-5 weeks to earn, Schaefer said. Kids can also earn Bill Booth Bucks, named after the Salvation Army's founder, to buy prizes.
Griffin said what makes Club 316 different from the scouts is that it is faith-based.The group is non-denominational and invites everyone to join. "Any child that wants to come is welcome," Schaefer said.
Griffin said she hopes to make a difference in the lives of children. She told a story of a 12-year-old girl who refused to go to a Salvation Army sponsored summer camp.
The girl was shy, kept her head down and didn't have too many friends. She was eventually convinced to go by her parents. Griffin said the girl came back after two weeks beaming with happiness and smiles. She had made new friends and had a new outlook on what her future held. Griffin said she wants to make all the kids as happy and optimistic as that 12-year-old girl.
Just because the youth director position has been filled is not to say that volunteers are not needed, it's quite the opposite.Volunteers are always needed. Griffin added that all volunteers will need to pass extensive background checks.The activities are all free, and no reservation or appointment is needed. For the weekly kids activities, participants should be at least 5 years of age.
For more information call (760) 375-7219 or check out the Ridgecrest Salvation Army's Facebook page.