A moment of appreciation

Thursday, May 3^rd around lunchtime several youth service providers came out to participate in the “Thank a Youth Worker Day” freeze flash mob. As I stood on the street corner, frozen with my “Thank a Youth Worker Day” sign held up in front of my face, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of thank yous spoken by Indianapolis Hoosiers passing by. In the weeks since then, I have reflected on the importance of thanking those who work for our youth, for our disabled, for our homeless, for our veterans; the importance of thanking everyone who works hard. The unfortunate reality is that, although the community at large is appreciative of our work, our societal norms push workers to the point of exhaustion. Saying a simple thank you can be an amazingly powerful gesture, but reminding one another to take some time just for relaxation can save lives. So THANK YOU to everyone who works passionately for others – now please take a hot bath, read a novel, get a massage, go hiking, watch a movie, take a siesta, and just RELAX. You deserve it.

Tee Off for Youth Advocacy!

Written by: Jon Showalter (MCCOY's Marketing & Communications Committee Member)

Attention fellow Hoosiers, summer has officially arrived. What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer than by joining us at MCCOY’s inaugural Swing Fore! Youth Golf Outing event. So spend a day away from the office (you know you’d rather be golfing!) and contribute to a great cause.

When and where?

·      The event takes place June 6 at the Coffin Golf Club with a shotgun start beginning promptly at 8:30 a.m.

·      Golfers will participate in a scramble format with a Banker’s handicap.

·      A lunch buffet will be served following the outing

Why should I come?

·      Whether you have the silky backswing of Phil Mickelson or a ‘turrible’ tee shot like Charles Barkley, you’ll enjoy hitting the links knowing your participation benefits youth development in Indianapolis.

Yeah… but how much will it cost me?

·      Gather your friends and sign up as a foursome for $250 or go it alone for $75.

Don’t forget the Prizes!

·      Think you have what it takes? Take on other challengers and win prizes in Closest to the Pin, Longest Drive, and Lowest Net Score contests among many others!

Registration

SPREAD THE WORD! Registration ends May 30.

Have questions or want to be a sponsor? Contact Jim Wark at jim.wark@mccoyouth.org or 317-921-1228. All proceeds will benefit MCCOY, Inc. To learn more about MCCOY click here.

Join us on a walk!

Save the Date: June 3, 2012

MCCOY will be participating in the 2012 Walking for Dreams 5K Family and Pet Walk Fundraiser. Last year we raised over $3500 to support our programs. This year our goal is to raise over $10,000 and to have over 75 people (and pets) walk on behalf of MCCOY. 

This year, MCCOY will have 3 teams: Team EIP, Team Advocacy, and Team Learning Network. Which team will you join?

To register:

#1) Click Here

#2) Select "Join a Team"

 #3) Select your favorite MCCOY Team: EIP, Advocacy, or Learning Network

To Donate:

We are asking each of our walkers to be a "Youth Champion" for $20. After you have registered to walk, you can make your contribution. Please also ask your friends and family to make a pledge to you! (They can follow this same link and search for your name. Or you can collect cash and checks and bring them to the walk)

Can't come to the walk? You are more than welcome to make an organizational gift to MCCOY. Click here to give.

For questions, please email Alyssa Newerth or call 317 921 1229. 

Walk Details:

Downtown Canal, Meet at Buggs Temple. On 11th Street, between MLK and Meridian.
Sunday June 3rd
Registration begins at 1pm, Walk starts at 2:00 and will conclude by 3:30pm
Parking Info

Thank you in advance for your support of MCCOY!

 

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

It’s my last week. I started in January as a student, but am leaving as a professional. Why? Not because I’m finished with school--Although, how awesome is it that I never have to go to school again? I’ll tell you. Very awesome. So awesome that I’m doing this--but because people believed in me. I was always given credit for my accomplishments, whether it was an e-mail saying "Great job" or acknowledgement in front of a coalition of the work I had contributed. I think when other people trust us, it is easier to trust ourselves.

I've had some proud moments. Giving testimony in front of the Senate Education Committee, being told by a seasoned lobbyist that my talking points for a bill were really good, becoming a Stewards of Children facilitator, winning a grant to pay for my training, and having an educated, grown-up conversation with a member of Representative Carson's office about legislation. (I didn't say "grown-up" during the conversation. I was actually quite articulate.)

After all that, I feel ready to change the world. And in those moments when I doubt myself, I am reminded that real life issues were put into my hands, and I didn't drop them. As I finish my time here and prepare to move to Hawaii--yes, Hawaii--I am reminded of this poem I received in one of my high school graduation cards. Maybe my fear isn't that I'm not ready for the real world. Maybe my fear is that the real world isn't ready for me.

Our Greatest Fear

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson

Mahalo MCCOY and aloha to the rest of my life!

These are the people who helped me become a rock star youth advocate. And that's me, giving the moose ears.

Get Involved, Volunteer!

My name is Shawna Fugate. I graduated with academic honors from Triton Central High School. I am a Lilly Endowment Scholar recipient of Shelby County. Currently, I am finishing up my junior year at the IU School of Social Work. I feel that I have accomplished many goals thus far, and I can honestly say Girls Incorporated of Shelby County has had a major impact on my life. Girls Inc. has provided me with many opportunities originating from my first day there when I was six years old. At such a young age, Girls Inc. instilled many important values in me that every girl should have. Girls Inc. taught me to be strong, smart, and bold

When I was in high school I really felt the need to give back to Girls Inc, as the staff and its volunteers had done so much for me.  I decided to volunteer a couple times a week after school. It was honestly one of the most rewarding things I have done. I loved working with the girls on activities. I really enjoyed taking them to the gym and teaching them different games such as knockout, around the world, and so on. I even was excited to help them with their homework. Being able to watch the girls learn and grow was an amazing experience. Every time I left Girls Inc to go home I would think to myself, “I hope I am as good of an influence for these girls as past staff members and volunteers of Girls Inc were for me.” I like to think that I did a good job and was a great influence.

Girls Inc was not the only place I did volunteer work at; however, for me personally, it was the most rewarding volunteer work I have ever done. This was because it was something I truly cared about and felt connected to. When volunteering it is important that you choose something you care about. It will be more rewarding. More importantly, I have to come to the realization that while volunteering helps the population, community, or agency you are volunteering at, it benefits you as a person as well. Volunteering is rewarding on its own. Knowing that I helped make a difference at Girls Inc empowers me and allows me to feel that I can truly help inspire others and make a difference in the world. I would encourage everyone to go out in their community and get involved with something that you care about, and volunteer! “Be the change you want to see in the world.”- Mahatma Gandhi

Shawna Fugate Indiana University School of Social Work

Make the choice, get involved

Written by: Amelia Allen

In school, I was the quiet, shy girl. I wasn’t good at sports. I didn’t have the money the other kids had. I wasn’t popular. Most of all, I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. The world today is not a nice place to grow up in. More and more kids and even adults are making bad decisions, life-altering decisions simply because, like me, they don’t feel like they belong anywhere. The day that I stopped feeling like this was the day that I made an effort, a conscious decision to get involved.

 

Color guard is one thing that most people don’t know about. They are the people they see on the football field but never give a second thought to. I was the exact same way until an opportunity presented itself to me and I jumped.

For those of you who don’t have any idea what color guard (guard) is, it’s a group of people, both female and male, that perform for an audience using flags, rifles, sabers, and dance. It may sound arbitrary, boring, or even stupid (which believe me are all things that I have heard before), but to me it meant for the first time in my life, I belonged somewhere.

Personally, guard not only gave me a sense of belonging, but it also gave me opportunity. It gave me the opportunity to break out of my shell. For the first time in my life, I opened up to new people, made new friends with people I wouldn’t have ever known before, and I felt good about myself. Joining a team was a scary thing for me, but it taught me that I could rely on other people, I could ask for help, and I finally had someone other than my family to look up to. Working with the older girls and guys gave me confidence and also comfort. Through these new found relationships, I gained mentors in not only the guard world, but my everyday life as well. I made ever lasting friendships, friendships that even now, six years later, I still hold dear.

One other (though not the last, I assure you) thing that I was able to learn from my experience with color guard was leadership. As I grew more confident in myself and my abilities, I was granted more leadership positions. One thing that this new found leadership did for me was give me confidence. Finally, I was able to help someone else, be a mentor to someone else and feel good doing it.

When I look back at my experience, I can never forget everything that color guard was able to give to and instill in me. Because of my color guard world, I can finally see myself as successful, outgoing, and beautiful. Color guard gave me the hope and the courage to belong. It gave me the courage to get involved. Life long friends. Life long memories. Life long experience. For me, it was guard but for you, it could be anything.

Importance of Fashion

      Fashion is exciting, fun, but at time can be a headache. Your first impression is EVERYTHING, but has the fashion world went too far trying to make it look as if you have to dress or look a certain way to get somewhere? Nowadays, because of fashion, youth think that "perfect" is what defines yourself or what they have to do to fit in. Does youth only dress a certain way to please themself or to please the people that they want to associate themselves around? Fashion is kind of what places people into certain cliques like emo, preppy, goth, etc. Some youth believe as if you need to be like everyone around you to be happy. Fashion shouldn’t portray this it should portray individuality and uniqueness. Some icons have used fashion to differentiate themselves from everyone else such as Lady Gaga. What we need to teach the youth is that the challenge in life is not to become perfect, it's accepting that you already are so why not dress to please yourself? Fashion is something that even the shy ones can even have a loud, clear voice for everyone to hear. We all know that youth doesn’t have much of a voice, but fashion gives us the opportunity to be LOUD! You can even design a shirt for certain awareness and use the money to give back. With fashion anything is possible. The way you dress is an easy conversation starter and a way to show who you really are. It’s something that defines you. So why not dress the way you want and get your point across without saying one word?
*The views and opinions expressed in this article are mine and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MCCOY. If you would like to learn more about how your voice can be heard, please sign up for MCCOY's advocacy newsletter, Youth Advocacy Council, or follow us at MCCOY_Advocacy*

 

Kristina Blume-YAC member