In January, as part of our ongoing Spotlight on Mission program to highlight service opportunities in our community as well as mission programs that are supported financially by Southern Heights, we invited representatives from The Child Guidance Center to come and share about the work being done there and ways that we can get involved.
In their own words, from The Child Guidance Center website:
"More children are struggling with mental health issues today than ever before. In fact, behavioral and emotional disorders affect thousands of children right here in our community. And it is a sad truth that two-thirds of these kids never receive the help they need.
The good news is that treatment does work for those who receive it.
Child Guidance Center is dedicated to providing child-centered, family-focused mental health services in Lincoln. Utilizing a combination of unique programs and proven strategies to meet every individual's needs, we serve more than 2,000 children and adolescents each year.
The services we provide are available to all youth throughout the community, regardless of financial ability." - childguidance.org
Towards the end of 2013, the Mission committee was seeking ways to get folks of all ages involved in the doing of mission.
We decided to give $250 to each of our youth programs, for them to spend on an active mission/service project.
The Sunday School program took this opportunity and ran with it, connecting with the Child Guidance Center of Lincoln and their Small Wishes Program. Through this program, the children of the church purchased and wrapped gifts for the children in the Small Wishes program, to help provide a Very Merry Christmas.
During their presentation to SHPC, the representatives from the program talked about how much this gift meant to the children that they serve, and gave us many good ideas about how we can help their program in the future.
While, because of HIPPA laws, there is not an opportunity to get directly involved in the programs and services that the Child Guidance Center provides, as we move forward, we are invited to support the work of The Child Guidance center through the donation of funding, materials, or facility maintenance (lawn care, etc).
If you would like more information about the Child Guidance Center, please call SHPC, and we'd be glad to put you into contact with the appropriate people!