Children of the Night

By: Jonmichael Guay

Overview of Nonprofit

Children of the Night is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1979.

We are dedicated to assisting children between the ages of 11 and 17 who are forced to prostitute on the streets for food to eat and a place to sleep.

Through our program we are able to assist those children in dire need of assistance.

Mission

The mission of Children of the Night is to help remove children from the entrapment of childhood prostitution from the unscrupulous pimps they work for and the pejorative households some live in and help facilitate their growth in a secure and sound environment.

They also help rehabilitate the children to enter mainstream society when they become of legal age. If additional assistance is needed they help provide independent living arrangements.

Inputs

There is a board of directors consisting of 5 people: Chairman: Wendy Dio Founder & President: Dr. Lois Lee Secretary:Janet C. Jones Treasurer: Francis Shelley, CPA Board Member: Patti Massman Neuwirth

Also there is over 150 committed volunteers and the financial contributions of thousands of caring individuals who make this program possible.

Inputs (cont.)

There are six ways to get involved as a volunteer: Workshop Volunteers: Organize a 2-hour

presentation for our children on some activity, hobby or special interest for our children. (I.e. crafts, make-up, "improv" comedy, acting etc.) This would be scheduled in advance and would be on a weeknight from 7 to 9 p.m.Organize an outing for our children (i.e. hiking, going to a baseball game, to the theater, etc.) These outings are staffed with trained Children of the Night counselors.

Clerical: Help assemble press kits and volunteer packets in our Children of the Night home. Hours available are Monday to Friday 9 to 5 p.m.

Inputs (cont.)

Professional: Need health, psychiatric and social service providers to work by appointment with our children from their own offices i.e. Doctors, Dentists, Psychologists.

Service Professionals: We need volunteers who are printers, photographers, artists, and writers.

Public Speaking: We need volunteers for public speaking for various groups in the community to elevate awareness of the problems and needs of child prostitution in America. Training provided.

Inputs (cont.)

Out of State Awareness: We are always in need of out of state volunteers to attend fundraisers and to help raise public awareness for Children of the Night. Every year from September through December we get invited to attend Federal Combined Campaigns to get federal employees to select our charity to donate through their payroll. These campaigns are held in different states. The work entails managing a booth (table and chairs provided), and setting up materials which we provide such as brochures, posters, T-shirts and giveaway prizes. The dates are always cleared with volunteers to check availability.

Process

The program starts out with the children receiving individual attention and assigned to private bedrooms if possible (each with its own bath) until they get a chance to settle in, and receive fresh clothing and hygiene kits.

The children are designated to a Primary Caseworker who

coordinates medical care, psychological care, academic

assessments and other social services as needed.

Process (cont.)

Residents follow a highly structured program that includes attending an on-site school where they study a pedagogy individually tailored to their specific needs so they can reach age- appropriate grade levels in all subjects before leaving.

With the help of caseworkers, each youngster formulates a “life plan” and attends independent living classes, that becomes the trellis for their independent living, as well as participating in sports and recreational activities plus evening workshops in crafts, yoga, 12-step meetings, poetry, AIDS education, and more.

Outputs and Outcomes

By offering children appropriate adult role models who won’t let them down and helping them set and achieve goals, Children of the Night provides the tools that prepare youngsters to function in mainstream jobs and normal lives.

After completion of this program, we help residents move on to appropriate placement - with a family member, in a foster or group home, in independent living, or in college.

Need in the Community

There is a great need in the community for the help of this foundation to grow so that they offer the children in need of assistance to alleviate themselves from the depths that is child prostitution.

This need is also illustrated by the breadth of the prostitution ring. Children are exposed to sexual exploitation, drugs, disease, and abuse.

Need in the Community (cont.)

International Relief Organizations suggest there are 300,000 children working as prostitutes in the U.S. It is estimated that somewhere between one and one half million children runaway from home each year. It is safe to estimate that about one-third of those children have some type of involvement or brush with prostitution and/or pornography.

Just Think

Just Think teaches young people to lead healthy, responsible, independent lives in a culture highly impacted by media.

They want youth to think for themselves, make healthy responsible decisions.

Appealing to Just Think

Just Think Helps build critical

think skills Educate the youth

to be productive members of society

The use of programs helps facilitate the growth of the youth

Children of the Night Through peer and

mentor assisted learning environments

They teach the children to become self reliant and sufficient people

How does this link to critical thinking?

The volunteers at Children of the Night need to construct programs for the children to help them alleviate the feelings that they have experienced as prostitutes.

The volunteers need to be able to cultivate the children to grow themselves. They also need to ba able to relate to the situations and understand where these kids have come from.

How does this link to critical action?

The volunteers need to be able to commit themselves to the cause of helping the children.

They also need to be able to offer these children the support that they so need and have lacked from their surroundings.

Thank you for your time and attention