You Never Know What Young People Are Thinking
Ask Them A Question!
If you ever watched the classic Candid Camera television series that aired from 1960 to 1975 with Allen Funt, you might recall the episodes where little children were asked questions to see what they would say. “Kids say the darndest things.” Funt would say as their answers entertained us all.
ALMS has a new twist on asking questions. First, we ask – not children – but young adults between the ages of 15 and 25. We like to start with our mission statement and then wait for their response. The question is: look at the words in color and then tell us which one stands out to you. When we visited the Juvenile Detention Center and found five young men sitting in front of us, we were yet again impressed, encouraged, and inspired by the profound impact our mission could have on changing the trajectory of these young men. It's clear that what we do does not just hit a nerve, but might also shape their futures.
We all read the mission statement together. “ALL LEADERS MUST SERVE (ALMS) is a MENTOR organization that EMPOWERS young adults aged 15-25 through JOB READINESS by instilling PURPOSE, CHARACTER, WORK ETHIC, and the desire to GIVE BACK to their community as SELF-SUFFICIENT adults." They chose one word to identify with – something that had meaning to them. This is what they chose. 1) Job Readiness – we noted that he wants a job, money, clearly one way or another. 2) Character – he was a follower who recognized he was lacking something, maybe character. 3) Purpose – as so many of our young people are, this young man wanted to know why he existed. 4) Give back - We were amazed. He was in trouble, but he shared that he knew he had something to offer, but he didn’t know what it was. 5) Finally, the smallest in stature wanted to be – Empowered!
Our response to them – we will come every week - when permitted, to give YOU information so you can become empowered, which will then help YOU understand what you have to offer to give back, and that will provide YOU with purpose, as YOU build character; and then YOU will be ready and able to get a job.
This commitment to offer weekly support is a cornerstone of our work, ensuring that our young adults have the consistent guidance and resources they need to succeed. When we left the room, we had their attention.
The ALMS 2025 Annual Dinner with the Stars is November 5th. Don't miss the surprise guests, student speakers, Anderson Family Catering and Mocktails at the
Yolo County Office of Education in Woodland! Go to our website at https://www.allleadersmustserve.org/annual-dinner.
Be a sponsor, purchase a ticket or make a donation.
See you there!
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Jayne Williams | 916.769.5162 | jayne@almsinyolo.org
