We want to thank Wal-Mart for considering Minnesota Teen Challenge to be a part of their Associate Choice Program. We are grateful to be one of five organizations in the state of Minnesota that were chosen for this process. As a Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club associate, we hope that you will vote for Minnesota Teen Challenge so we can improve our Aftercare Department for the graduates of our program.
If Minnesota Teen Challenge receives the most votes, the funds would be used to provide job training, counseling and support services to help adults and teens improve their work-related skills before and after they graduate from our year-long recovery program. This would provide economic self-sufficiency to unemployed, disadvantaged and low income Teen Challenge residents (with an emphasis on the Veteran, Homeless, and Jail/Prison populations.)
Our goals are:
1. Create a sense of self worth and life purpose
2. Lower the risk of relapse
3. Reduce community crime and loss prevention
4. Create an Employer Network within the community
5. Allow graduates to become contributing members of their community
A vast majority of Teen Challenge residents are low income and most have no income at all when they enter our program. Because Teen Challenge is both residential and long term, this allows us extra time to work with these individuals through the circumstances and experiences they have had as they work towards graduation and employment. This grant will allow Teen Challenge to begin working three to six months prior to completion of the recovery program which allows the time needed to prepare our residents for occupational solutions leading to employment or further education.
