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Family & Youth Forum |
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September What's Inside
Mission
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Windows by Dana Forrest, Director of The Leadership Centers for Youth
Often we work with youth, speak to them,
laugh and joke, but how often do we really get through to them? Many
times adults become impatient with our youth today and lose site of
their true potential.
I had the pleasure of working with a young woman this summer, her name is Jen. Jen had never been employed and desperately wanted a job. She was employed for eight weeks at our Leadership Center for Youth in Lake Charles. One of her many responsibilities was to clean the large picture windows and double front doors each day and throughout her shift if necessary. From the beginning she was not happy about this duty. She would often ask “Why do I have to clean the windows?”, “It’s so hot and this is a hard job.” I explained that along with her other duties which she enjoyed, there would be necessary duties she would have to perform, even if they weren’t her favorite. At one point she noted that the cleaner wasn’t working, only smearing and smudging the glass. I took the time to clean a section of the window myself, while explaining my method and what I found to work for me. Our relationship grew from that simple task of cleaning the windows. Each day she greeted me with joy and respect. Since school has begun, our Summer Work Program is over and now Jen is employed at a local McDonald's. When asked by her case manager how she was doing at work and whether she liked her job, she replied, “My manager gave me a compliment the other day!” Her case manager asked her to share the comment. She was beaming when she announced that he told her she was great at cleaning the doors and windows! How such simple words can mean so much and make a true difference in a young person’s life. I would encourage each of you to assist in leading our youth; it can be as simple as washing windows! For more information view The Leadership Center web pages.
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