STAFFERS SEE SUCCESS FIRSTHAND

Area Youth Ministry was founded in 1970 as a Christian outreach ministry to inner-city youths. It serves about 800 to 1,000 adolescents each year.

In addition to the Drop-in Center, the ministry offers Bible study, breakfast, cultural and volunteer opportunities, and single-gender groups that help youths mature.

Area Youth Ministry is located at 1641 E. Michigan St. During the school year, it is open in the morning for breakfast and after school until 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays. In the summer, the center keeps its Friday hours and changes to 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and noon to 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

Y-Press recently interviewed two staff members, Carol Collins and Jonathan Thompson.

"My call and focus is toward the youth because youth today need a lot of positive mentors. I was just fortunate enough to have two lovely parents and a lot of other youth workers when I was a kid growing up. . . . I just felt the need and the responsibility to give that back," Thompson said.

"We have faith that this will be something that sticks with them," Collins said. "We have a fund-raising banquet every October, and last year we had people come back who used to come to the Drop-in years ago. And they talked about how it changed their lives and how, by learning to have a relationship with God, it's changed their family values."