From fancy cars and expensive clothes to fine dining and exotic vacations, there are many ways you can spend your hard-earned dollars. And there is nothing wrong with rewarding yourself for a job well done — but what would happen if you rewarded someone else instead? JDi Data is continuing our commitment to continuously thinking of others with our 12 months of Giving blog series.
This Months Featured Charity
This month’s featured charity is Young Life, chosen by JDi Data’s Senior Software Architect Bob Giovinazzo who is also a Young Life Leader in his Highlands, NJ Community.
About Young Life
Young Life doesn’t start with a program. It starts with adults who are concerned enough about kids to go to them, on their turf and in their culture, building bridges of authentic friendship. These relationships don’t happen overnight — they take time, patience, trust, and consistency.
So Young Life leaders log many hours with kids — where they are, as they are. We listen to their stories and learn what’s important to them because we genuinely care about their joys, triumphs, heartaches, and setbacks.
Young Life believes in the power of presence.
Kids’ lives are dramatically impacted when caring adults come alongside them, sharing God’s love with them. Because their Young Life leader believes in them, they begin to see that their lives have great worth, meaning, and purpose.
This is the first step of a lifelong journey; the choices they make today, based upon God’s love for them, will impact future decisions … careers chosen, marriages formed and families raised. All ripples from the time when a Young Life leader took time to reach out and enter their world.
When And Where Is This Happening?
Bob’s Highlands Young Life group will be traveling to Rockbridge camp, in Goshen, VA, on July 22nd and fund-raising to make sure each teen can afford to attend the camp. We encourage you to join us in donating to this amazing organization.
Bob gives us a better glimpse of what these young people will experience at this year’s Young Life camp and his personal experience volunteering for Young Life:
“Young Life is about having fun. Sometimes a little wild, sometimes a little crazy, but always tons of fun. But Young Life is much more than fun. When I started volunteering my time two years ago, I wasn’t sure if the kids would accept me. But once the young people saw that I really cared, they were eager to share their struggles and challenges with me. In addition to organizing and hosting youth events, I and my YoungLife co-leaders share the love of God through leading Bible Studies and developing personal relationships with the kids. We want every young person to know that no matter what they are going through, no matter what mistakes they may have made, there are loving adults who are willing to take the time to listen, to understand, and to care. And we also love having wild and crazy fun with the kids!! This summer, our youths are going to the Rockbridge YoungLife camp in Goshen, Virginia, for the week of July 22nd. One hundred percent of the funds we raise through this month’s giving will go directly toward helping those youths attend the camp who otherwise couldn’t afford to. We are committed to seeing every young person who wants to attend summer camp have the opportunity. We can’t thank you enough for helping make this a reality!!”
How To Donate?
By Check
Make check payable to “YoungLife”, specify “West Milford Camp” in the memo, and mail to:
YoungLife of Lower Hudson Valley
PO Box 261
Suffern, NY 10901-0261
Online
Click here or go to this site.
Fill out the form as follows:
Search by City and State for “Lower Hudson Valley” in Suffern, New York
Specify “West Milford”
Select “Camp Scholarship”
View all charities here.
