YouthAbility

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YouthAbility serves disabled and at risk youth by engaging them in volunteer service, vocational activities, and social enrichment. YouthAbility participants help themselves by helping others.

Individual Placements

Community-Based Volunteer experience

Approximately 100 to 125 youth participate annually. Students are placed in individual volunteer assignments based on their individual strengths and interests.

Goals:

• Students develop job skills

• Students explore possible future careers

• Student gain self-confidence

• Students provide a valuable service to the agency of placement

• Students may volunteer at a non-profit agency or do an internship at a business

Examples of placements:

Libraries, museums, hospitals, animal shelters, restaurants and grooming salons.

Group Projects

Engagement Opportunities

Approximately 175 to 200 youth participate annually. Group projects designed to give youth a positive connection to the community and allow them to feel like community heroes Projects may last one day or be on-going.

Goals:

• Develop self-esteem

• Provide integrated community experience

• Develop soft job skills (such as eye contact, on task behavior)

• Provide a valuable service to the community

Examples of projects:

• Create greeting cards for sick children

• Make and serve lunch for victims of domestic violence

• Tend to community gardens that provide fresh vegetables and fruit to the elderly

Empowerment Opportunities

Approximately 40 to 50 youth participate annually. On-going group projects which require a higher level of commitment on the part of the student. Projects last most of the year and work toward

specific goals.

Goals:

• Develop specific skills related to the project

• Serve as community leaders as part of the project

• Develop self confidence

Examples of projects:

• Create and perform in a play about overcoming disabilities

• Learn about advocacy and government through field trips

JFSA YouthAbility is funded in part by:

Legacy Village
Peggy and John Garson Family Foundation
Norma and Ernie Siegler Family Foundation
David and Robert Stein Foundation
Michael and Anita Siegal Family Foundation
Nathan L. and Regina Herman Charitable fund
Saltzman Youth Panel

Recipients of the YouthAbility Mini-Foundation Awards

Autism Speaks (general support for families and individuals with autism)
The Gathering Place (general support for individuals and families touched by cancer)
Save the Children (support to stock a library and provide early childhood education for students in an under-developed country)
The Cleveland Free Clinic (support to help purchase bus tickets for clients)
The Cleveland Foodbank (support to provide 140 meals for people in need)
Jewish Federation of Cleveland Lunch Program (support to provide 14 lunches for kids during school vacation)
Fieldstone Farm (general support for therapeutic horse-related programs for individuals with disabilities)
Geauga Humane Society’s Rescue Village (support to sponsored a cage for two months)
MedWish (support to provide medical supplies to people in need around the world)

2011-2012 Schedule "We Will Be Friends"

January 23

Park Synagogue East
Feb 5

Park Synagogue East
Feb 17

Mayfield Middle School Game Night

Call Heidi Solomon at 216-378-3434 for exact times of performances.

The Horvitz YouthAbility program is a recipient of the 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award. The award recognizes an individual, business or organization and youth who have positively impacted the community in the spirit of the teachings and example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Each year, more than 300 YouthAbility participants contribute close to 8,500 hours of service to the community. Brian, a YouthAbility participant, with Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson (photo above) received the award at the 32nd Annual MLK Celebration Concert Sunday, January 15, 2012 at Severance Hall. Congratulations volunteers!