ProAct diligently works hard to never cancel a program activity – workshop or service project.
The youth we serve is our primary mission. And the types of youth we engage usually come from backgrounds where the trust of adult mentors is lacking due to too many missed appointments, cancelled program activities, unfulfilled promises, or an adult mentor simply gave up for various reasons.
Because of this, ProAct diligently works hard to never cancel a program activity – workshop or service project.
As a commitment to our youth, their families, and our schools, ProAct rarely cancels a workshop or service day.
The goal for all employees at ProAct should be to provide age-appropriate support and guidance while also allowing for and empowering young people to lead. We have learned that we cannot effectively do that if we cancel workshops or service projects.
We realize that some things may not be in our control (e.g. school and community partner cancellations, inclement weather preventing an outdoor project, safety concerns at a partner’s site, etc.), however, what we can control is our ability to show up.
- If our School Champions recruited six youth to be in our youth program, we show up.
- If anyone from our team (Rising Star, Site Ambassador, ProAct Staff) shows up to an afterschool workshop or service project and one or two kids are there, we do not get discouraged, we continue to show up.
- If a Rising Star cannot attend a workshop because of a family emergency or work obligation, we show up.
No matter the time, reason, or place, we show up for our kids. Just by being there, you never know whose life you may be saving because you are consistent. This is why we embody and live out our mission, to stand in the gap; whatever is within our control and within reason, when we go out of our way to stand in the gap for others, we demonstrate immense care that transforms the lives and perspectives of our community – and ourselves.
What if we, or a partner, need to cancel last minute?
At times, a community partner may cancel at the last minute due to inclement weather, short staffing, etc. Remember, the golden thread connecting all our program activities is that we are redefining community service by focusing on the intention of building relationships. With this notion in mind, with last-minute cancellations, you should plan a fun activity for our youth and volunteers to build relationships. We have a budget line item called, “Program Contingency Fund” for this very purpose.
Activities may include:
- A bowling outing
- A trip to Sky Zone
- A visit to the local museum
- A tour and lunch at a corporate partner’s corporate office
- A pizza and dessert outing
- An impromptu picnic
- A day at the pool
- And much more!
We build relationships – and sometimes we may go out of our way to do so. Our youth don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. That is why we show up whenever we are called to do so.