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You-Turn Fall/Winter 2008 Newsletter
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(Dec - 2008) – The Holidays are a time for family and friends to come together annually and celebrate the season through the sharing of a meal and gifts. For many in our communities, this time of year conveys with it the challenge of bringing smiles to the faces of the kids in the family as the downturn of the economy makes it a challenge to merely keep the lights on. The Youth of Honor Organization recognizes this challenge and thanks the many AT&T employees and the Atlanta Falcons for their continued support of our families. Together, we delivered holiday cheer to two families in need of assistance this past holiday season.
These two families had both suffered losses and were struggling to pay their monthly mortgage to keep the roof over their heads, but thanks to the support of the Youth of Honor community of supporters, each family had their homes filled with gifts, food and visitors. Coy Wire, linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons and his wife took time out of their busy schedule to personally deliver gifts to one deserving family.
Not only was the family surprised that a real NFL player visited them, they were also grateful for all the gifts, well-wishes and conversation. This sentiment is echoed by the Garner family who also received gifts and donations.
The mother had been unemployed for many years and recently lost her husband. She was actively looking to go back into the workplace to support her two girls. With no real office, appropriate clothes or even shoes, she had been trying for months to find employment with no luck. Thanks to the gifts provided through Youth of Honor, she received clothes and multiple pairs of shoes, and after trying them on we could see that her self-image improved with her confidence uplifted.
A few days after leaving their house, we were informed that she was hired by a local company, and tears flowed as she thought of the generosity of strangers that made her, and her family’s, holiday season a true blessing and one to be remembered.
We thank all those who participated in supporting these families. We tell the youth we speak to 'life is a team sport,' and we appreciate you being a part of our team as we continue to be committed to making a difference in the communities we live in. The Youth of Honor team welcomes your continued support as we continue to find ways to positively impact lives.
Encourage your friends to visit our website (www.youthofhonor.org) and click on the 'Join our eGroup' button so they can be added to our distribution lists. |
The Youth of Honor Foundation was thrilled to have been granted up close and personal interviews with three of the most inspiring people in the world. Our YOH Casts continue to be an incredible venue through which we are blessed with words of encouragement from some of the most noteworthy individuals. Legendary Academy Award Winning Actor Louis Gossett, Jr., Trumpet Pinnacle Award Winner, Singer, Dancer, and Actress Raven-Symone, and world-renown boxer Jake "THE RAGING BULL" LaMotta, in taped interviews, provided messages of hope, encouragement, and the realities of how success can and does follow hard work and persistent and diligent discipline.
While each message can be viewed separately, their collective take on GETTING YOH JUMP ON LIFE! echoes the YOH Cast messages of everyone in the YOH Cast library. The message remains clear. 'True happiness lies in helping people, and you don't have to follow people going down the wrong path,' said Raven. 'Don't do the wrong thing to justify yourself; you're wasting your life.' Ms. Symone has spent her entire life growing up in front of our eyes on The Cosby Show and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. She keeps her family around her and people who tell her the truth. She encourages everyone to 'see the good in mentors to help you be a better you.'
Mr. Gossett echoes that sentiment. He is certainly no stranger to dreaming big and living out that dream. With numerous blockbuster movie credits such as An Officer and a Gentleman and Tyler Perry's 2007 Movie Daddy's Little Girls, Mr. Gossett is the true epitome of success. 'You must have a roadmap for success,' he said. 'Man is subject to disappointment. There are no more excuses guys. We have a new President. He is our new role model.'
Jake LaMotta, whose life was depicted in the movie Raging Bull by actor Robert DeNiro, who won an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal as the middle-weight boxing champion of the world and the FIRST fighter to defeat the great Sugar Ray Robinson, shared this message to the youth around the world: “If you believe, Believe, BELIEVE, you get what you want.”
You can tune into these YOHCAST interviews in their entirety one of two ways: You can view them directly on our homepage at / or you can visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/yohcast . While there, we encourage you to even post a comment on our YouTube site to be shared with youth around the world. Let's face it. President Barack Obama has said it time and again throughout his campaign and even after he had taken his oath of office, He made it clear that 'Change will come,' but only after we join together and do our part. What better echo of his sentiments than to have three generational trailblazers, Louis Gossett, Jr., Raven-Symone, and Jake LaMotta simultaneously offer their messages of inspiration to today's youth and future generations.
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(Mar - 2009) Youth of Honor’s Give the Gift of Bouncing Back Campaign, which we launched on November 20th, 2008, continues to gain steam and support thanks to the generosity of our supporters!
We encourage you to take a few minutes and click on the video to the left to hear the impacts of this program directly from Dr. Rufus Johnson, Regional Principal of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. "Our President, Mr. H. Ron Brashear, has literally put his life into the hands of today’s youth via his audio autobiography to serve as a living testimony that you can BOUNCE BACK from mistakes made in life," said Youth of Honor Executive Director, Tom Grason. "The feedback and the results that we are experiencing are very uplifting and rewarding; however, there is much more work to be done." He said.
The 'Give the Gift of Bouncing Back Campaign' is an audacious goal to gain sponsorship for 100,000 copies of the 'Bouncing Back... Living life the right way' audio book but one we believe is needed to assist youth around the world understand that there is a better path to take in life.
For those of you who have already supported this campaign, we THANK YOU and hope that you continue to support this effort. If you haven’t participated in this campaign as of yet, we encourage you to do so. For example, an anonymous supporter from Cobb County, Georgia recently made a donation of $300.00 to this campaign. This supporter's donation sponsored thirty books (30 books X $10.00ea = $300.00). This is a very unique way to make a tax-deductible donation and know exactly how your hard-earned support dollars are being utilized. Given this, please visit /GiveTheGiftOfBouncingBack.html and help us reach our goal of positively impacting the lives of 100,000 youth. |
Read a letter of appreciation from
Mr. James D. Brown,
Marietta Regional Youth Detention Center
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Youth crime is a major problem. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2004, law enforcement agencies in the U.S. made an estimated 2.2 million arrests of persons under the age of 18. In that year, juveniles accounted for 16% of all arrests and 16% of all violent crime arrests. The substantial growth in juvenile violent crime arrests that began in the late 1980s peaked in 1994 and has been dropping ever since. As a result, the juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate for 2004 was at its lowest lefel since, at least, 1980 and from its peak, in 1993. The bad news is that juvenile crime is still a substantial problem. Data on crime in the United States in 2004 from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program include the following:
- Courts with juvenile jurisdiction handled an estimated 1,660,700 cases.
- Juvenile courts handled about 4,500 cases per day.
- The number of delinquency cases processed by juvenile courts increased by 44% between 1985 and 2004.
- Females accounted for 24% of all juvenile arrests for aggrevated assault and 33% of those for other assaults in 2004, far more than their involvement in other types of violent crimes.
- Between 1995 and 2004, while juvenile arrests for drug abuse violations fell 8% for males, they increased 29% for females.
While the study of delinquency and juvenile crime has historically focused on males, the number of females has increased since 1981. For violent crime, the arrest rate of young females increased more than that of young males (120% compared with 60%).
Source: "Youth Courts: An empirical Update and Analysis of Future Organizational and Research Needs" conducted by the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence Reports and Essays Serial |
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(Feb - 2009) -Over the past two years the Youth of Honor team has worked to bring words of inspiration to youth of all ages through our YOH Cast campaign (www.youthofhonor.org/YOHCasts.html) via interviews with superstars Raven-Symone, Tiger Woods, B5, Andy Roddick, Joe Namath and many others. Each interview, though short in duration, carries powerful messages either through video, digital audio and/or pictures. At this time we are proud to announce a recent partnership with Pure Digital Technologies, the maker of Flip Video™ – the best-selling family of affordable and simple-to-use digital camcorders.
With these compact, high quality devices in hand, the Youth of Honor team will continue to reach out to the icons you and our youth recognize so additional messages can be captured and shared so that we can all raise the bar on a better tomorrow. If you haven't heard of Flip yet, we encourage you to visit their website to learn how these reasonably priced, pocket-sized video recorders can help you capture memories that will last a life-time. Through the included software, you can quickly transfer a video to your PC and within minutes create a fun greeting card to send to your friends.
While we pursue other interviews and get used to using our Flip video recorders, send us an email and let us know who you would like us to interview or share some feedback on one of our existing interviews and how it helped change your perspective in life. Thanks for listening in and stay tuned for more words of hope and guidance as we make a difference in ourselves and the youth we serve. |
Have you been trying to find a way contribute to the Youth of Honor Foundation, and at the same time get something tangible in return? We hear you loud and clear. Now is the time to Get YOH Merchandise!
The YOH on-line store is up and running, and we have a great selection of items that you can purchase on-line from the privacy of your personal computer. A portion of proceeds purchased through our secure on-line store benefits the Youth of Honor Foundation. Click on the link and you will be right in the store! How cool is that? No need to stand in long lines or thumb through cumbersome catalogs. Everything is a mouse click away! You can GET YOH JUMP ON LIFE wristbands for as low as $2.50! Teens love wristbands!
Spring has arrived! You can also purchase 100% cotton pre-shrunk YOH T-shirts in all sizes from Youth to Adult. While sporting YOH T-shirt or YOH coffee mug during your morning break, you will be supporting youth who need to know that someone truly cares. By ordering from the YOH store, you are directly helping to provide the funds desperately needed to reach out to youth around the world and share the message of hope for a better tomorrow.
Do you have an upcoming birthday or special occasion to buy a gift for? Perhaps you know a parent who is struggling with her adolescent or teen child. Order your copy of H. Ron Brashear's book (soft-bound or audio) from our on-line store! You will receive a personally autographed copy of the book, and at the same time help a child become a Youth of Honor. If you have charity dollars that need to be justified, consider our GIVE THE GIFT OF GIVING BACK CAMPAIGN. Whatever you decide to do, know that your gift of any amount will go a long way. So click here to visit our on-line store today and place your order now. Allow 5-7 days for delivery.
The Youth of Honor Foundation thanks you in advance for your orders and generous gifts. |
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(Feb 2009) - In a collaborative effort, the Nauticus Maritime Center, together with Carl Brashear’s sons, Dawayne and Phillip, have raised the bar to another level by opening an elaborate 3,300 sq. ft. exhibit hall depicting Carl Brashear’s life. On display are two of Mr. Brashear’s prosthetic limbs that he wore while diving, working out and on dressed occasions, a life-sized Mark V Dive Suit, a movie section that plays scenes from Men of Honor, and an awards and honors area. The exhibit also boasts an interactive area for kids where they can actually try their skills at the demanding physical exercises that enabled Carl’s remarkable return to active duty as a Navy diver after the loss of one of his legs in an accident.
The Youth of Honor team encourages anyone visiting the Norfolk, Virginia area between now and the first week of June 2009, to ensure they take time to visit this historic display. Carl's sons said it best during the grand opening when they stated, “We hope that everyone who screens this exhibit will leave with the mindset that no dream is impossible provided that you are willing to put forth the hard work and perseverance that it will take to accomplish your goals.” said Carl’s youngest son Patrick. “Our father represented honor to the highest degree and that makes us so proud,” added Dawayne. Visit the Carl Brashear website to learn more about this exhibit. |
In partnership with Kennesaw State University (GA), Cadmus Construction's mission is to provide the best possible solutions in energy efficient and environmentally responsible living environments in order to share common interests with regard to the implementation of alternative energy resources and Cadmus Construction's environmental design/build initiatives. Weatherford Place Project (a "green" development of 8 town and country homes in Roswell, Georgia) is an excellent example of how to gather data on energy collection and consumption. Committed to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEEDs) Certification, and the attainment of Platinum Level, this project is designed to meet or exceed all the LEED requirements and incorporate water reclamation & reuse, solar/photovoltaic/hot water and recycle/reuse systems.
The Cadmus team's "green" approach to the homes of the future was established to ensure that our natural resources are best utilized and leveraged for the benefit of the community at large. Youth of Honor is proud to support Cadmus Contruction's vision as it parallels the thoughts of our organization as we work to rebuild our youths' love for themselves and belief in a better tomorrow so they can achieve greatness that will impact the community in which they live. For more information, or if you are looking to buy a home that is setting tomorrow's standards, contact the Cadmus team today to learn more about Weatherford Place on Crossville Creek. |
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