Hope for Youth
I am so elated at the fact I’ve been asked to share my love for this organization and what’s mean to me.
Past
My story began in 1994 at the Star of Hope Women and Family Shelter on Dowling St. right on the outside of downtown. My mom and my two brothers were fortunate to find this shelter at a difficult time in my life. Some of you might say, fortunate, and my answer to that would be, yes fortunate. In 1994 when my family moved to the Star of Hope Women and Family Shelter, I was in a bad place in my life. My step-dad was abusing my mom physically and emotionally. At that time you could actually stay at SOH shelter for 1 year. I was fortunate because I was introduced to Hope for Youth one night during one of the SOH events. At this time in my life my real father was not present so I was not able to learn as a young teenage boy how to cope with the things that a father would teach his son. So that night I joined the ministry and heard some cool things from the teachings that were being done but I was not ready to be on Gods team. Remember, I’m only 14 at that time, trying to take care of my two brothers while my mom worked multiple jobs. How could this God that was being presented to me allow the pain and abandonment to happen to my family?
I continued to go and was introduced to Wendy Dewlen, Kim Hansen, and multiple wonderful volunteers who were apart of the ministry. I was introduced to awesome events like Friday Night Live, weekend events, camps, ect. During this time I was able to make some awesome friends that I still have contact with today. The ministry was there to help urban and at-risk teens spiritually, socially, and economically.
When I was in the 10th grade I was given permission to travel with the HFY ministry to the big town of Branson Missouri to a Christian camp called KAA (Kids across America Camp). I remember that was so exciting for me as a teenager because I had never been that far outside of Houston, Texas. Man, the camp was set up like a High School where we had multiple classes a day, awesome food, and different kids from all over the country to hang out with.
One night during the trip to KAA they had something called Cross Talk which was presented as the Death of Christ and the awesome story of our Big Brother raising from the dead on the third day, with all Power in his hands. I was at a cross roads but I remember thinking everything else in my life had not been going my way. People had been lying to me and that caused a lot of disappointments. I decided it was time to stop running.
On that night I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and began a life long Journey of living for Him. In my Junior and Senior year I was introduced to the College and Career Prep program. This part of the ministry allowed kids who were interested in college or technical school to work with volunteers who helped us in the growth mindset that things were greater in life after High School.
The heart and soul of this Ministry in my opinion is the Mentorship Program. We rely on volunteers to mentor our youth and spend time with them. I don’t believe that mentorship is done in a classroom or closed in doors. JESUS taught his disciples as he went so that he could teach them about life. Mentorship was apart of my life from a teenager until becoming an adult. Now, I have the awesome privilege to show kids a different path in life that society tries to strip from them.
I believe lastly what impacted the most is when I was able to be employed by HFY as a young adult. We would go into low income area apartments like Coke St, Kelly Courts, and other apartments telling kids about Jesus Christ. I watch God change the life of a lot of Youth, Praise God.
Present
Presently, I am still a volunteer for this awesome ministry and I am so in Love because they have shown that they are in it for the long hall with the youth of this city. I personally know of stories of youth who are still being mentored and are not forgotten because they graduated High School.
A few years ago I had to leave the ministry for a while due to raising kids and working. Hope for Youth continued to invest into kids lives and continues to show God and how awesome He is.
I returned to the ministry in October as the Volunteer Operations Manager because I can personally say I believe in what God started and would like to continue to carry the mantle and reach as many kids as we can. We want to show, not the ministry, but Jesus our Lord.
I have the opportunity to work a young lady named Christine Cooper who is my Hero in the faith because of what she has been through. Christine’s story reminds me that there is a God and just because you feel life isn’t fair and you received the short in of the stick, God can use you just as you are. My friend and Program Director, Marcus Allen allows me to see Christ unconditional love for the Youth that we have the privilege to serve. I love the team that the Board of Directors has allowed to come together to uplift and serve kingdom of God.
Future
I’m am excited to press forward and help HFY patiently serve the Youth of this City. I do believe that our hearts are to be with the young people of Houston because they need something to look forward to, Jesus Christ.
I feel that if we allow the kids to see our examples as we follow Christ example, we will introduce a love that a lot of kids/youth do not possibly see.
Tydon M. Bell
Servant Leader