Struggling Youth
Far too many young people are struggling with their mental health and unable to get the support they need. Since the pandemic began, rates of psychological distress among youth have increased. Many parents and guardians reported their children feeling extreme depression, isolation, and apathy. This happened as the pandemic forced them to stay home and lose physical access to school, friends, and extracurricular activities. Even after restrictions lifted, the effects are still being felt across the country.
As a response to this concern, Youth For Christ (YFC), a fixture in the youth ministry community in America for the past 78 years. YFC has supported young people by coming alongside them in pivotal moments and committing to living life together with them This is all while pointing back to the hope of Christ. YFC Northern Indiana has gone above and beyond in their mission to create meaningful relationships with their “We Believe in You(th)” campaign. This campaign was first created in 2020 with the goal to inspire confidence in the young people in the area. Their community hung up signs and banners all throughout the Fort Wayne area with the message “We Believe in You(th).”
What started as a local campaign in 2020 to uplift youth has now turned into a movement. YFC chapters in Miami and Baltimore also joined to declare their belief in young people. The third annual “We Believe in You(th)” campaign will take place from November 14-18.
Spreading the Message
Chris Todia is the executive director of YFC Northern Indiana. Todia said, “Two years ago, YFC Northern Indiana launched a one-week, all out campaign for the young people of this region. That campaign turned into a movement! We were blown away by how the community responded and what God did. We had thousands of people engage in this. There were over 1,400 people donating over $500,000 to the young people of this area.
“We had teachers posting videos with the message of ‘We believe in you’. Parents were sitting down with their kids and telling them just why they believe in them. To follow that, churches and businesses put up yard signs spreading this message. It was just incredible to witness. The week was capped off by video messages the youth sent back to us, thanking us for believing in them.”
Todia said, “These young people give us hope for a brighter future. Our community is showing them how far we will go to ensure they know they have our support. Through this movement, we have seen all Northern Indiana quickly unifying around this identity. With the expansion to different chapters, we are excited to see this message go beyond just our region. Through this campaign, we have learned even more that our words and encouragement matter. We have a huge opportunity to positively impact the lives of young people by simply believing in them.”
This Years Goal
The “We Believe in You(th)” campaign week will include a fundraising component. It will reveal more than $250,000 dollars in matching funds from various businesses and donors. There will be a social media push, a radio collaboration with Star 88.3, and handwritten cards and videos shown to youth. We will have a flood of positive messages directed toward the youth across an array of media channels.
For more information about the “We Believe in You(th)” campaign, click here.
Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.
