For the City Times

WOOD COUNTY – The Wood County Human Services Department is kicking off a program to provide hope for county youth.

“Young people today who have lost hope in their future might lead you to the answer. We see it in our community and across the country in rising depression, drug usage, anxiety, lack of interest in school, juvenile delinquency and suicide. When the barriers seem too great to conquer, it’s easy to give up. Without hope, it’s easy to make unhealthy decisions,” a Wood County Human Services release stated.

“In 1993, a group of youth development practitioners asked themselves what it would mean if we switched how we look at young people from ‘at-risk-youth’ to ‘kids-at-hope.’ And if we could shift this paradigm, how would it change the way we see what’s possible for kids, and what kids themselves would see as possible?

“Through significant research and evaluation, Rick Miller, founder & Chief Treasure Hunter, and his team, created Kids at Hope to show exactly what is possible when children have adults who believe in them no matter what. With a hope-based strategy that begins and ends with a belief system that states and demonstrates, all children are capable of success, No Exceptions, young people are given an opportunity to transform from ‘kids-at-risk’ to ‘kids-at-hope.’”

Wood County Human Services is hosting Wood County’s first Kids At Hope Night at the Nepco Lake enclosed shelter on Oct. 6, where Rick Miller will share the research, vision, and mission of Kids at Hope.

Meant to” inspire, empower, and transform schools, organizations, and communities to create an environment and culture where all children are capable of success,” No Exceptions, community members will learn about this inspiring culture shift and how to become hope-fueled treasure hunters for Wood County youth.

Joining Rick Miller, will be special guests Danny and David Diazof Disney’s “McFarland USA” movie, who will share their inspiring story about their real-life experiences of being seen as “kids at hope” and how it impacted their lives.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and speakers start at 5:30 p.m.

“We are recruiting all caring adults, institutions, and organizations that care about the future of children, to make a commitment to prevent hopelessness and join us at this special event,” the release added.

To register, visit https://kah-woodcounty.eventbrite.com. For more information, visit  https://kidsathope.org.