Director's Report

The Thursday after Christmas (2008), I noticed that someone had left a message on the Café answering machine. The message was just one very quiet word … from an unidentified person … sounded like a teen. The voice said: “help”. That’s all. Help! It could have been a prank. It could also have been the voice of many teens in our community. The CrossWord Café/Chillicothe Youth Center has been an active organization in our community since the fall of 2001 and it is part of our mission to engage, enjoy and sometimes “help” students that come to the Café.

In 2008 the Café expanded its services to include free tutoring, free art lessons and free music lessons; as well as provide a safe place for Jr. and Sr. High students from the Chillicothe area to hang out, play games and have fun. In addition the Cafe offers weekend band shows and periodic opportunities for area students to perform on stage themselves at an `open mic night’.

Current open times include:

* Monday – Thursday 3-5 pm (art lessons Tuesday 4-5 pm)(homework help and tutoring 3-5 pm)
* Tuesday – 7-9 pm
* Thursday – 7-9 pm “CRAM & JAM” (emphasis on study groups, tutoring, and music lessons)
* Weekend Shows – as scheduled

For homework help, tutoring, and music lessons … call to arrange for tutor and/or music lesson day/time.

In 2009 we will strive to continue building healthy relationships with area teens (grade 6-12) through the lives of dedicated volunteer staff and teens that come to the CrossWord Café. Perhaps a New Year’s Resolution for the Café could be to reshape our values to mirror the value statement found on “Cup of Cool Water Ministries” web site ( www.cupofcoolwater.org ) … it reads:

We value:

Grace over Law
Relationship over Program
Empowering over Enabling
Long term commitment over Short term commitment
Community over Isolation
Equipping over Hindering
Acceptance over Discrimination
Unconditional love over Rejection

John Heffron – Director