Steps to HOPE has received a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation for the creation of a pilot adult training and youth mentoring program. The initial offering from Steps to HOPE utilizing this grant is a free six-week parent/teen support group entitled “So you have a teenager, now what?!”

The group is designed to help parents and their teens over hurdles presented during these formative years. Led by licensed facilitator Sam Etheridge, group meetings will be interactive with adults and their teen(s) tackling questions such as, “How can we communicate better?”, “How do we negotiate and find compromise?”, “How do we build great family memories together?” and more.

Meetings are scheduled at the Polk County Public Library on Wednesdays from 5:30 – 7 p.m., beginning July 6 and running through August 17. Dinner will be provided free of charge to participants. If you are interested in signing up, please call Steps to HOPE at 828-894-2340.

In addition to the parent/teen support group, Steps to HOPE is in the process of building a group to promote peer-mentoring relationships between eighth grade students at Polk County Middle School and juniors and seniors at Polk County High School and the Polk County Early College.

Thanks to this generous grant given by the Polk County Community Foundation and Steps to HOPE’s commitment to healthy relationships and community outreach, expect more exciting news, programs, and adventures designed to empower and support our local youth.

– article submitted
by Paula Childers