Children world wide are forced to understand the importance of education in order to be accommodated with great success. From elementary school, middle school, to high school the preparation period may seem strenuous to many children but especially to those disadvantaged children who are not receiving the help that they need to move forward. Without the proper help that they need from parents at home and with a shortage of funds that would allow the proper counseling and tutoring many children are stuck to fin for themselves.
This is the reason why Eugene Wolf of "Better Life for Youth" which is an organization on the West Side of Chicago has stood up and taken the position as community leader amongst the many organizations that are on the West Side of Chicago. Mr. Wolf grew up in the Henry Horner Projects on the West Side of Chicago with a dream to make a better way for disadvantaged youth. Inspired by State Senator Rickey Hendon whom he worked hand and hand with during the political reign of the late Mayor Harold Washington, Mr. Wolf always dreamed of being a politician, however, after experiencing some of the bad politics during Alderman Wallace Davis's indictment, Mr. Wolf decided that he would not become a politician and took on the initiative to move forward with his humanitarian cause by way of helping---hands on. According to Mr. Wolf who has a background in Social work, the main goal is to allow young children to understand that just because they have been raised in "The Projects," Chicago's low income housing or in any other situation that has been identified as disadvantaged, this should not define you a a person, because there is a better way through education. Frank Pitchford, Mr. Wolf's assistant follows up and adds, "We come from the Projects but, this doesn't mean that we can't rise above statistics and this is what we want to let the youth who come from the same humble beginnings understand, that life gets better, much better with education." Mr. Wolf is the Founder of 'Better Life for Youth" and has been the Executive Director for the last 13 years and all of the funding for the last four years has come directly from Mr. Wolf's pockets due to a lack of funding from the state, and Chicago Area Projects has provided some help as well. However, Mr. Wolf has made a commitment to himself and the community that a lack of funding will never stop him from helping his community.
Although Mr. Wolf comes from humble beginning he was raised by both parents and understands the importance of being raised by both parents. In Mr. Wolf's 13 years of serving through his organization he has found that 90% of the children that he serves are without both parents and feels that this may be one of the main ingredients contributing to their lack of academic success. However, Mr. Wolf does mention that the single mothers that have connected with his organization are doing a great job at trying to make a way for their children, which could be quite a challenging task for a single parent in the inner city of Chicago which is one of the major reasons why organizations like "Better Life For Youth" are important according to Mr. Wolf.
Better Life For Youth has several different departments that extend a helping hand to the youth and the community at large. Where one department entails an after school program that helps in the mentoring and tutoring of children between the ages of 6 and 13 from 2:45PM until 7:00PM another department helps provide activities to students between the ages of 14 and 18. Mr. Wolf also provides a service to teens who are in high school that will allow for them to travel nation wide to different Universities to do college tours. Each year 15 to 20 students are enrolled into Universities nation wide through this department of "Better Life For Youth." On January 9th 2010 Mr. Wolf's organization provided transportation, food and chaperons for 34 students to visit Monmouth College in Monmouth Illinois in order to to help the youth have a better perspective about secondary education and the importance of getting a secondary education. Mr. Wolf explains "To the child that has all F's we help, to the gang banger on the streets we help, to the child that has been statistically ostracized we help and even to the child who is already receiving the help that they need at home we further assist.....a "Better Life For Youth" is what we offer."
On March 25, 2010 "Better Life For Youth" will be giving another college tour for youth in the Chicago area. The tour will entail visiting Howard University, George Town University, George Washington University, George Mason University, and Galluedet University in Washington DC, Morgan State University in Baltimore Maryland, Bowie State University in Bowie Maryland and Hampton University in Hampton Virginia. Each student will also do a White House tour and sit down and have lunch with the President of the United States-----President Barack Obama. Mr. Wolf says "I'm really excited about this year in particular because we have five sponsors that are going to be traveling with us on this trip in order to see what we are offering the youth-----we are changing lives." Each student is required to maintain at least a C average, have great school attendance, have an excellent behavior report and as well come to all of the meetings that are required, to prepare each student for each college tour.
For more information on college tours for your child please contact Mr. Eugene Wolf at 312-671-1026
If your would like to help sponsor a child for this and future college tours please call Eugene Wolf at 312-671-1026 or mail your donation to:
Better Life for Youth
Attn: Eugene Wolf
4215 W. Westend
Chicago, Il 60624
Mr. Eugene Wolf would like to give special thanks to the sponsors who have already given for the cause, this includes State Senator Mattie Hunter, Dr. George Smith, Chicago Area Project, State Senator Rickey Hendon, State Representative Anna Zette Collins, State Representative Ester Golar, State Representative Lashon Ford, Metropolitan Baptist Church, New Life Church of God in Christ and Bethel New Life Church.
Posted By: Talibah Bakhit
Wednesday, February 24th 2010 at 10:58AM
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