Testimonials

"When JoAnn first asked me to speak about my experience with the Youth Aid Panel, my first thought was that I would be too nervous, but I feel that the program is just too important so here I am.

 

I first became aware of the Youth Aid Panel in December of 2006. It was a very emotional time for both my son and I and neither of us knew what to expect. We had a thousand questions running through our minds like… will they take the time to listen? Will they be judgmental and make us feel like horrible people? Are they really there to help educate him and work together? Are they going to get to know us? Julian was trying to work through what happened and he had so many feelings that he was dealing with… he was disappointed in himself, angry and embarrassed that it happened. He knew he made a bad decision that night and he was trying to work through it. I was still dealing with my emotions as well. I was mad, sad, shocked and disappointed…. You name it we were both feeling it. I love my son and would do anything to help him get back on track.

 

Then it was time… they called our names and we went in the room with our hearts in our throats. I could tell right away that everyone on the panel was genuinely concerned and took the time to get to know Julian… listened to his side of the story… ask how he was doing in school…what his hobbies were… how he felt about what happened. They also took the time to listen to me which quite honestly as just what I needed… it was my time to talk about what happened with someone and through draining it felt so good to talk about it. Anyway,… they drew up a contract and what was so impressive about it was the fact that they took some of Julian's talents and his hobbies and worked in projects that fit him and his creativeness. It was truly a life-changing event for both of us and we left there that night feeling good and I knew that this was the best thing for him.

 

As the months went on and we reported in monthly, it became something we actually almost looked forward to. Everyone was so friendly and wanted him to succeed. Julian was working hard on his projects, taking responsibility of his actions, giving back to the community and really understanding the ripple effect of his actions. I could see him change month by month. The night of his graduation was quite a celebration… not only did he complete the program but he had grown as a person, could now move on with the tools and education that he needed to prevent this from happening again. They say it takes a village to raise a family and I truly believe that and am so thankful that we went through it. He has continued to do well and is now a freshman in college. This past Spring Break he went on a medical mission to Honduras with Penn State- treating over 1200 people. Community service is still very important to him.

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I felt so strongly about the program that I knew I had to become involved, so I joined the panel and have never regretted it. It has been great getting to know everyone and I have met so many families and kids. I know that being a teenager in today’s world is hard and yes sometimes bad decisions are made. The panel is there to educate and give the kids the tools they need so they can know what to do next time they are faced with peer pressure or whatever situation they may be in. One of the things I enjoy the most is being a mentor. They call me once a week and this really gives me a chance to get to know them, know how they’re feeling and help them along the way. To watch them grow and see them become proud of themselves when they complete their contract is something that makes me so proud and glad that I became a member of this panel!"