Step By Step A Success!

This past Saturday, YFC held it's annual Step By Step fundraiser at The Crossings Town Park in Colonie. I think it was the nicest weather that we have ever had for our walk-a-thon!

A big Thank You goes out to all who participated this year to make Step By Step a success! Each year we give out prizes to the man, woman, teen and child who raised the most money in their category. A special recognition goes to this year's winners: Karen Ludwig and Arlene Naylor (tie for first place in the women's category), Keith Hvizdak, Danielle Sherman and Taylor Jones!

This year our line-up of Corporate Sponsors included:

Adirondack Screen Graphics

Appraisal Services
Ben & Jerry's of Saratoga

Big League Haircuts

Collision Experts

The Crooked Lake House

The Cross Eyed Owl Gift Shop

The Field Team: Keller Williams Realty

Hoffman & Miller Oil Co.

Placon Industries

Redeeming Love Gospel Church

Rollarama Skating Center

VanAuken Express

Our Corporate Sponsors had their names printed on our T-shirts and were proudly worn by our participants! Be sure to solicit these businesses and say Thank You to them!

After the walk, everyone enjoyed the picnic lunch and the beautiful day at the park. What a great event!

Ministry Staff Wish List

If you don't ask, you don't receive. Did you ever hear someone say that they wished that they knew that you needed an item, but because they didn't know about it, they got rid of it?

Here at Youth for Christ, we actually have a Wish List. These items are just some of the items that our ministry staff are wishing for. If you have the means to donate them or know anyone who could help us obtain any of these items, please let me know!

Our Wish List includes:

Digital Camera
New Couch and Rug for our Teen Parents Meeting Room
Laptop Computers for the Ministry Staff
Sports Equipment for our Clubs
5 x 8 Enclosed Box Trailer
MP3 Players
Video Projector and Screen
Video Game Systems
Gift Cards from Walmart, Target, Price Chopper, etc.
Tabletop Minsitry Displays

You can give me a call or let me know by email if you would like to donate one or more of these items. Our staff would greatly appreciate it!

-Chris

Be a Corporate Sponsor for Step by Step

Some of you have asked how can you support YFC in our Step-by-Step fundraiser. The answer is to become a Corporate Sponsor. It's really easy!

For a Corporate Sponsor pledge of $200 you will receive:
1. Your business name on our Step-by-Step 09 t-shirt
2. Advertising in our July monthly newsletter
3. Advertising in our next quarterly YFC newsletter
4. Mention of your company as a Corporate Sponsor on my Blogsite
5. Link to your company's website from my Blogsite

What great advertising for your business! And you will be helping kids in the Capital District, too! Give me a call (518) 783-5332 Ext. 11 or send me an email for more info at crichmond@cdyfc.org.

Step By Step Walk on June 6th

In the past many of you have participated in our Step by Step Walk to raise funds for Youth for Christ. This year we are walking at a new location: The Crossings of Colonie, located on Albany Shaker Rd. in Loudonville!

Get ready to support YFC on June 6th by coming out to the park and walking with us! There is a beautiful one-mile loop through the park to walk on and enjoy God's beautiful creation.

The event starts at 10:30 am with Registration and the Walk is from 11:00 - noon. After the Walk, we will be having picnic lunch with music and prizes!

If you'd like to solicit sponsors to raise funds for YFC, jot me an email (crichmond@cdyfc.org) or give me a call (518) 783-5332 Ext. 11 and we can email or send the form to you. You can collect pledges for our General Fund or for any specific ministry that you would like to support. (You don't have to solicit funds to attend.)

For those of you who like prizes, collect at least $25 in sponsors and you will receive this year's Step-by-Step T-shirt. If you raise $200 to $300, you will receive a $10 gift card from Walmart. $301 to $400 gets you a $20 gift card, $401 to $499, a $30 gift card, and $500 or more will win you a $30 Walmart gift card. We will also be giving out prizes after the walk for the Most Money Raised in the men's, women's, teen's and children's categories.

Ways to Get Involved with YFC

Do you ever think what can you do to help young people and YFC in the Capital District? Well, there are many ways that you can get involved!

1. Pray: We are always looking for prayer partners to pray regularly for the ministry. Sometimes we need prayer partners to be "on call" for specific needs. Or you and others could lead a prayer team in your church or community for YFC.

2. Volunteer: There are lots of ways to be a volunteer. We have several weekly programs that need adults to spend relational time with teenagers. We need drivers, babysitters and mentors for our Teen Parents program, to name a few.

If working directly with teens is not your thing, you could serve at our YFC office answering phones, helping with our monthly mailings or assisting with minor repairs at our office in Latham, Schenectady City Life Center or Samuel's Cafe in Alplaus.

Would you like to serve on a team to promote prayer, networking, encouragement and financial support for our local ministries? Having adults in our communities and churches to support YFC is so helpful to make people aware of our work with teens.

One idea that we have had is to find someone who would like to solicit items and sell them on eBay to raise funds for YFC.

Our youth conferences and events rely on a team of volunteers to run efficiently. Excel, Break Out, Step by Step, Summer Camps, Blazefest and Shiloh's Edge trips need a variety of one-time services. This could include cooking a meal or dessert, set-up and clean-up for an event, or some other easy task.

3. Support: You can dispose of your old car through our Auto Donation Program with High Mills Garage in Scotia, NY. All proceeds from the sale of your vehicle will go directly to YFC.

Have your friends, co-workers or members of your small group or church in your home to host a Ministry Briefing where you could introduce them to the ministry of YFC.

4. Give: Commit to regular financial giving. You can give to the General Fund or to a specific area of ministry if you know someone on staff or a particular ministry is close to your heart.

Give at your office by writing Youth for Christ on your United Way donation form.

Sponsor or play in our annual Golf Tournament coming up in August at Shaker Ridge Country Club.

Sponsor or host a table at YFC's Banquet in November each year.

Contribute an item that can be used in our offices or ministry programs.

Remember YFC in your will or estate plan.

If you'd like to find out more information on any of these ways that you could be involved at YFC, contact me, Chris Richmond at (518) 783-5332 Ext. 11.