You are invited to Serve Our Youth Network’s 3rd Annual Golf Outing to be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2008.  We will have a 1:00pm shotgun start and it will be a four person best shot.

This event will be held, once again, at Toad Valley Golf Course, located at 237 NE 80th St., Pleasant Hill.  The course is a 1/2 mile south of S.E. Polk High School.

The cost per golfer to register is $75 and that includes 18 holes of golf, a golf cart, and dinner when you finish.  You can register online at http://serveouryouth.toadvalley.com or by phone at (641) 620-9037.

We are also looking for hole sponsors.  A hole sponsorship is $250 and for that you’ll receive a sign at the hole sponsored, mention in the golf outing program, and mentioned in our bi-monthly newsletter and blog.

If you have any questions about the golf outing please contact Heather Comfort.  She can be reached by e-mail at the_comforts@peoplepc.com or by phone at (515) 971-2039.

We hope to see you there!

We would like to take time to thank our underwriting sponsors who helped make this evening possible:

• Evelyn Libby of West Des Moines
• Iowa Insurance Agency – Des Moines
• Van Maanen & Associates, P.C. of Pella.
• Ken Ferguson of West Des Moines
• Pella Engraving Company of Pella
• Schiebout Tire of Pella
• Pete and Carol Verhey of Pella
• Van Sant Collision Repair, Inc. of Pella
• Vermeer Charitable Foundation of Pella
• Jeff Larson of Johnston
• Marion County Bank of Pella
• Jim & Jan Koopman of Waukee

We would also give a special thanks to those who helped make the program end of our banquet a success!

• Barry Griswell, former CEO of Principal Financial Group for speaking
• Brooke Bouma of WHO-TV who emceed
• Darin Wogen who shared about his mentoring experience.
• Chad Quist, Heidi Quist, and Suzanne Lenters for their special music.
• Pastor Jane Brown of Meredith Drive Reformed Church for providing the Invocation and Pastor Clare DeBoef of Perry First United Methodist Church for giving the Benediction.
• Jeff Larson for giving our pledge challenge.

Special thanks is also needed for our table hosts without whom we wouldn’t have had any guests!

• Greg & Becky Abbot of Indianola
• Rick & Emily Burger of Urbandale
• Grace Butler of Pella
• Heather & Seth Comfort of Des Moines
• Dennis DeGroote of Woodward
• Beth Draheim of Des Moines
• Ken Ferguson of West Des Moines
• Harold Grandia of Johnston
• Greg & Judy Gear of West Des Moines
• Paul Gratton of Des Moines
• Kathy Howey of Pella
• Joe & Jody Karge of Woodward
• Evelyn Libby of West Des Moines
• Joyce & John Lutz of Des Moines
• Steve & Mary Quiner of Johnston
• Susan Sorgenfrey of West Des Moines
• Jeremy & Jen Stumbo of Ames
• Rich & Elaine Thomson of Altoona
• Mary Tomlinson of Des Moines
• Dan & Linda Vander Hart of Des Moines
• Scott & Tami Vander Hart of Urbandale
• Shane & Cheryl Vander Hart of Pleasant Hill
• Bernie & Marcia Van Roekel of Urbandale
• Ken & Gloria Van Zee of Pella
• Lois Vermeer of Pella

At these groups, caregivers will be able to ask needed questions and receive helpful information from local professionals and providers in the community.

They following services are available at each session:

• Transportation
• Childcare
• Educational Information
• Incentives
• Foster Care CEU

These sessions are being held at Mt. Olive Baptist Church (3100 2nd Ave, Des Moines).  The time for all sessions: 5:30p-7:00p.

• 5/5/08 – Breaking Challenging Behaviors and Health Issues
• 5/12/08 – Becoming an Educational Advocate
• 5/19/08 – Transracial Parenting
• 6/2/08 – Children’s Mental Health Issues
• 6/9/08 – Reunification
• 6/16/08 – Fatherhood Initiative

For additional information please contact Joyce Bruce, the Kinship Connection Coordinator, at (515) 255-8702.

He is going on to seminary in Pennsylvania, and we wish him the very best.  Thank you Ryan for your service!  The staff at the shelter appreciate your sacrifice of time coming to meet with the boys, and so do we.

• 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes–U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census
• 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes–Center for Disease Control
• 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes–Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 14, p. 403-26
• 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes–National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools
• 70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from fatherless homes–U.S. Dept. of Justice
• 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home–Fulton County Georgia jail populations & Texas Dept. of Corrections

Translating these – Children from a fatherless home are:

• 5 times more likely to commit suicide
• 32 times more likely to run away
• 20 times more likely to have behavioral disorders
• 14 times more likely to commit rape
• 9 times more likely to drop out of school
• 10 times more likely to abuse chemical substances
• 9 times more likely to end up in a state operated institution
• 20 times more likely to end up in prison

HT: Kurt Johnston

Our training will be held at Polk County Youth Services in Des Moines (1548 Hull Ave. in Des Moines).  To RSVP contact Shane Vander Hart by e-mail or at (515) 321-5077 by Friday, May 2. 

Our mentor training is free and attendees can expect to learn:

• Roles and expectations of mentors
• Details about SOY’s mentoring program (policies & procedures and screening and matching process)
• Qualities of a successful mentor
• Characteristics of the kids we serve.
• How mentors help kids through asset-building.
• How to communicate well with mentees.