Minot Youth for Christ seeks donations
Minot Youth for Christ is in need of more regular donations to help support its programming and maintain its building and staffing, said Larry Stenson, executive director.
“We’re running behind quite a bit this year,” said Stenson on Friday, who said some longtime supporters have moved or passed away.
He said Youth for Christ hopes to raise about $25,000 before the end of the year and would like to raise an additional $10,000 to $12,000 per month in new support funding.
“What we’re asking people to do is consider a year end gift for Youth for Christ,” said Stenson.
The nonprofit organization is housed at 318 5th Avenue NW, two blocks off North Broadway. It serves students from the community who are ages 11 to 19.
“Our building impacts about 75 kids a week,” said Stenson.
During this time of year, as many as 100 kids a week come to programs at Youth for Christ.
Youth for Christ has programs for kids focusing on topics such as how to be a good friend, how to get along with their families better, and how to have a thankful attitude. Volunteers from Youth for Christ worked at the Horn of Plenty and collected food for the charity.
“Our program is open to any and every young person who wants to come,” said Stenson, who said a lot of the kids who attend programs at “The Rock” don’t belong to any church. Some kids come to programs there because a friend has invited them.
All volunteers who work with students have gone through a criminal background check and an extensive interview process. They also receive education on how to keep kids safe.
Stenson said the program’s headquarters is called “The Rock” because there is a prominent rock outside. The building was damaged during the Souris River flood of 2011 and was rebuilt with the help of donations and volunteers. The nonprofit gets all of its funding from donations. Some churches have helped regularly and there are fundraisers throughout the year, including the group’s sale of truckloads of Colorado peaches in August.
But Stenson said they need more regular donations to help keep up the building and to pay staff.
Checks can be made out to: Minot Youth For Christ, P.O. Box 1403, Minot, ND 58702. Stenson said people can also stop by the building during the week and staff will gladly give them a tour and talk about programming. Staff are usually there between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and sometimes at other hours.
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