By Lisa Frank, Program Director of Stand Up for YOUth, a ministry of The Pregnancy & Parenting Center
A New Location
This year, the prevention department of TPPC is growing and part of that includes a move into The One Center for Leadership in downtown Canton. The change in location was in-part needing to be closer to the hub of non-profit program leaders. The One Center is a space for coworking, development, and community engagement, and that feels very fitting for this season of Stand Up for YOUth. Leadership is an important part of this work. Not just in title, but Kingdom-minded leadership: people willing to step forward, serve well, and help pave the way for change in the lives of young people and families.
We are grateful for the new space and the opportunity to be connected with other leaders and nonprofits who care deeply about our community. Our office is inside the church building, and even the view from the office into the sanctuary has been a sweet reminder of the bigger purpose behind this work.
A New Team
At the beginning of August, Kathleen Steele stepped away from her longtime role as a Stand Up for YOUth educator for personal reasons. While it was unexpected, God has been faithful in providing for this season and we are so very grateful for the time she spent building our program. Michelle Baker, a former Stand Up for YOUth educator, was ready to return after spending almost her first-year home with her son, Caleb, who turns one on October 19. Michelle has already been such a blessing as she steps back in and helps train our new educators. Joellen Bergert comes to us from Akron Public Schools. She thought she was retiring, but it seems God had other plans. Kathleen Wagner also joins our team with a nursing background and years of experience teaching adults about optimal health. She is now stepping into a new space, teaching young people about healthy choices, relationships, and future-focused decision making.
I truly could not be more in awe of how God is bringing together such different people, with full lives and unique experiences, for one shared purpose: to teach students that healthy choices lead to more freedom, hope, and possibility for their future.
Please Pray for Us
Our work can be hard to fully explain because it covers so much: relationships, boundaries, emotions, choices, goals, sexual risk avoidance, and future family health. But at the heart of it, we are planting seeds. We want students to pause in the moment, think about their future, and understand that their choices matter. As we move into this school year, we would appreciate prayer for students to receive the message, for strength and encouragement for our educators, and for wisdom as we continue building parent connection and community partnerships.
We may never know the full impact of one classroom conversation. But if even one student hears the message and their life is changed, it matters.
Be of Good Cheer
One of my favorite verses is John 16:33, where Jesus reminds us that in this world we will have trouble, but we can take heart because He has overcome the world. I have “Be of good cheer” on my wrist as a daily reminder to keep my eyes fixed on Him and to let that cheer come from the inside out. As we step into this new season, that is my prayer for our team, the students and teachers we serve and all those we partner with. If you would ever like to learn more about Stand Up for YOUth or connect about this mission, please feel free to email.
One BIG Thank You
A special shout out to those who made our new location a reality: Mike Wuchnik and his daughter Katerina, Kathleen Steele who poured into the new place, and especially to my wonderful husband, Alan Frank, who volunteered many hours to help bring the new office together. On behalf of Stand Up for YOUth and The Pregnancy & Parenting Center, THANK YOU for your commitment to youth in Stark County.
Editor’s note: Stand Up for YOUth prevention ministry is the fourth program under the auspice of TPPC that goes into Stark County’s middle and high schools teaching students to have healthy relationships and make healthy choices for optimal health. Find out more www.standupforyouth.net.