Tatum has been coming to 71Five City in Grants Pass for almost 2 years now. At the beginning of Spring, she told me she was going to be missing club for a few months. I was saddened by this, but, when she said that it was to study for her GED with a goal of graduating this summer, I was ecstatic! Tatum had been struggling for some time, as many kids have since Covid-19. She fell behind in her studies and had to attend school for an additional year after her senior year. Not only was she feeling hopeless, but she also felt defeated. The GED program gave her a new avenue to a positive outlook for her future.

 

By the beginning of Summer, Tatum had missed several clubs, but we stayed connected and she was able to attend many of our other activities. She helped with some volunteer work cleaning up trash at a local event and was a high school leader at our 71Five Middle School Camp. I was so delighted to receive an invitation to Tatum’s GED graduation and felt honored. As I looked upon those who attended, I was surrounded by her family members. That’s who we become when we build relationships that lead to hope in the lives of our youth. We become family… brothers and sisters in Christ. Thank you for doing your part in the 71Five Family by helping Tatum reach one of her dreams this summer.