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Psalm 68:5-6 "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families" In America today, 1 in 4 youth - 14.3 million children in America today, 1 in 4 youth - 14.3 million children are alone and unsupervised after school. The peak hours of 3 to 6 PM on school days are the prime times for juveniles to commit crimes, use tobacco, drink alcohol or use drugs. Forty percent of children growing up in America today are being raised without their fathers. About 40 percent of children who do not live with their biological father have not seen him during the past 12 months; more than half of them have never been in his home and 26 percent of those fathers live in a different state than their children. |
We seek to connect kids to local churches youth services that welcome them.
The Door is designed to reach them through solving three essential needs in the community: 1. The Need of Every Teen to be Fed. 2. The Need for Every Teen to be Part of a Family. 3. The Need of Every Teen to Find Faith. |
The Door functions as the consistent place to be at home. We believe that God's heart is for every kid to belong to a family where the can feel loved, accepted, and protected, but that is only part of the equation. For one weekend each winter and one week each summer we take this family on vacation. Camp is a place of rest and joy for the teens. It's a brief moment for many of them to get away from the chaos at home and enjoy God's creation with people they have built a relationship with all year. We also are intentional about connecting with local churches who catch our heart and are willing to risk their resources to invest in our teens. Teens do not just have physical needs, they all come with a different story and it takes a community of people around them to take care of their whole being. Lionheart is the additional step that many of our young men need to take. It works through the relationship that was already cultivated in The Door and builds on its foundation to mentor them into men who can carry the weight of life well.
The National Center for Addictions and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
determined that the kids who turn out best have two things in common.
1) They belong to a faith group like a church or youth ministry, and
2) They have dinner with their family 3 or more nights a week.
We step in to provide support in both of these areas in tangible ways. Being located in a residential home helps us maintain a strong family culture, while an upgraded commercial kitchen frees us to be able to safely and efficiently provide daily meals to an average of 40 teens in each of our locations. Our programs have always been able to be offered free of charge to any teen who needs them thanks to the sacrificial support by many individuals, churches, and local businesses!
The National Center for Addictions and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
determined that the kids who turn out best have two things in common.
1) They belong to a faith group like a church or youth ministry, and
2) They have dinner with their family 3 or more nights a week.
We step in to provide support in both of these areas in tangible ways. Being located in a residential home helps us maintain a strong family culture, while an upgraded commercial kitchen frees us to be able to safely and efficiently provide daily meals to an average of 40 teens in each of our locations. Our programs have always been able to be offered free of charge to any teen who needs them thanks to the sacrificial support by many individuals, churches, and local businesses!
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Office Hours:
M-F 9-5 Office Address: P.O. Box 6 Bellwood, PA 16617 Office Phone: (814)935-9971 |
