Programs

Since 1991, youth from shelters, various inner city neighborhoods, and housing projects around Houston have been offered a better chance to discover their full potential through the programs offered by Hope for Youth.  These programs are designed to open the doors of hope to youth in need of the compassionate leadership so necessary to foster spiritual, academic, and social growth.  To facilitate that growth, we offer programming in four broad categories; Large Group Outreach, Small Group Discipleship, Camps and Retreats, and Summer Programs.

Outreach

Friday Night Live is our primary outreach program. Youth are encouraged to invite their friends to join them. Typically held two Fridays a month, the night starts off with dinner, games, and fellowship before hearing a short devotion/message followed by small-group discussion about the topic of the week. It is our goal to create a loving and inviting atmosphere where students can come to lay all of their worries aside, while interacting with volunteers who expose them to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our hope is that they will see something they want to get plugged into and keep coming back.

OutreachEvents

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Mentorship

The Mentorship program is, in many ways, the core of HFY’s programming, centering around creating deep and lasting, one-on-one relationships between our most committed youth and volunteers.  Topics for this program include studies on the biblical view of family dynamics, gender roles, and Christ-centered relationships – all in an effort to prepare our youth for a satisfying and successful walk with Christ.  Additionally, mentors get to know their youth well enough to help them address academic and social issues as well.  This program uses large-group, small-group, and one-on-one time to build the relationships necessary for lasting change.

Camps And Retreats

Stoney Creek Ranch in New Ulm, TX:  This camp provides our middle school students with a great camping and spiritual development opportunity.  Like KAA (mentioned below), this camp is specifically designed to serve urban youth and serves as a great gateway for spiritual and social growth at a crucial time in the life of a young teenager.

Kids Across America (KAA) in Golden, MO:  For many, KAA is among the highlights of their year- and rightfully so.  Kids Across America is a camp directly targeted and maintained for students who find themselves in an urban setting and in at-risk situations.  Every year, students come back and share how this eight-day experience literally changed their lives. This program focuses on our 9th-12th grade students.

Spring Retreat at Carolina Creek: Taking place in the pine woods near Huntsville, TX, Carolina Creek Christian Camp presents a unique opportunity to bring our youth to a weekend camping retreat designed to “go-deeper” with each of them. The weekend is comprised of team-building, leadership, and spiritual development exercises that cause the students to “think” through their experiences and to seek a better, more fulfilling life.

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Jesus N the 'Hood

Jesus 'N The Hood

Our version of vacation bible school, JNTH is a week-long outreach program where we encourage current Hope for Youth students to bring their friends and siblings to introduce them to the ministry.  The program is high-energy and packed with nonstop fun, fellowship, and food.  Each night is highlighted by Christian music, a message and small group discussion.  It is our most attended program and is a favorite for youth and volunteers!

Volunteers

In this role, volunteers work directly with the students in one more more of our programs.  Volunteer positions are numerous and include everything from small-group leader to mentor to greeter.  The majority of our volunteers also pick up students and transport them to the various Hope For Youth activities, interacting with them along the way. This is a vital part of our ministry.  Not only does it provide the youth with necessary transportation, but it also provides volunteers with an opportunity to get to know the youth better.  In the past, we’ve found that some of the most significant relationship building and mentoring occurs in the car on the way to and from the activity!

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ContinuingDevelopment

Continuing Development

College and Career Prep is a weekly program for 10th through 12th graders to assist them in applying to and preparing for college, career or the military, as well as helping them develop the skills they will need for life after high school. As we cover topics from financial aid to creating a budget, we continue to point them to a growing relationship with Jesus.