How many people can say they helped 891 children and families last year?
The people who volunteer for Oxford-Addison Youth Assistance can.
OAYA held its annual meeting Feb. 26 with a breakfast at Crossroads for Youth. Eugene Arthur Moore, Chief Judge of the Oakland County Probate Court, served as the event’s keynote speaker.
It was Moore’s father, the late Arthur Eugene Moore, a former Oakland County Probate Judge, who established the county’s Youth Assistance program in 1953. Seven years later, Oxford-Addison Youth Assistance was created.
Last year, the program’s 50th anniversary, saw almost 1,000 volunteers countywide work approximately 45,000 hours helping at-risk youth, according to Mary Schusterbauer, Chief of Oakland County Youth Assistance.
On the local level, here’s a portion of what OAYA accomplished in 2003:
n Helped 891 children and families through various programs.
n Provided a resident summer camping experience for 29 students through its “Adopt-a-Camper” program, for which $7,280 in donations was raised.
n Honored 108 outstanding area students during OAYA’s annual Youth Recognition Ceremony in May.
n Conducted a Christmas party with dinner and gifts for 27 children and 13 adults.
n Conducted a haunted house fund-raiser on E. Burdick St. in October which made a profit of $4,307.
n Educated 631 middle school students about what happens if they’re caught shoplifting and how decisions they make now can affect the rest of their lives.
n Funded positive, educational activities for 21 local children through the Skillbuilding Program.