“It was an Incredible Time for Students to Let Loose and Have Fun”
August 2, 2021
PORTLaND, Ore.—Plenty of high school students across the country missed out on the usual milestones that occur in their junior and senior years due to Covid-19. For students in Portland, Oregon, it was the same story. They never saw a return to any type of “normal” for either the 2019-2020 or the 2020-21 school year, which meant the students were not given a standard graduation, clubs never saw a return, and prom was cancelled altogether. But they had one difference—they did get to enjoy a gift given by the Youth For Christ (YFC, www.yfc.net) East County Campus Life Site to help make up for their losses.Staff and local businesses worked together to put on a Prom & Worship Night, which gave these seniors who had missed out on so much a special night to remember.
“Our Campus Life team heard the hurt coming from our Seniors who missed out on the prom experience altogether and we wanted to do what we could to help,” said Annie Clark, Campus Life Director, Portland Youth For Christ.
That’s when the plan began to take shape. The team utilized a local church to host the event, and YFC staff from across Portland helped with decorations. A local baker with a heart for youth donated delicious cupcakes for the event, and they even had a photographer donate her time and skills to make sure the students had professional portraits with their friends.
Leading up to the event, a local clothing closet run by YFC staff helped students get prom dresses who couldn’t afford to purchase new ones, and the Campus Life Team took students shopping who wanted to purchase new dresses instead. The day of Prom & Worship Night, Campus Life staff did hair and makeup for students who wanted it done.
“Prom & Worship Night was an incredible time for our students to let loose and have fun,” said Clark. “They danced, ate yummy treats, got goofy pictures, and then ended the night with our Campus Life Intern leading worship. We then honored our seniors, prayed for our students who enlisted in the army and were heading off the basic training, and then enjoyed some happy hour appetizers at Applebee’s.”
“Nobody knows what normal will look like for students this year, but YFC Portland will walk alongside their students every step of the way.”
YFC haschapters impacting thousands of communities across the nation that seek out and serve youth from all walks of life. Many teens are silently struggling through a variety of challenging issues—and now they see the living power of a loving God. YFC encourages staff and volunteers to be good news while also sharing the stories of the Good News of Jesus. It involves building relationships through the ups and downs of everyday life in order to lead people to Christ.
YFC has been a pillar of missional ministry since 1944, when the Rev. Billy Graham served as YFC’s first full-time staff member. Since then, Youth For Christ has continued to be both a rural and urban ministry on mission, and it is always about the message of Jesus. YFC reaches young people everywhere, working together with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement. Youth For Christ operates in over 100 nations and has approximately 140 chapters that impact communities across America.
Visit the Youth For Christ media page here. Learn more about Youth For Christ at its website, www.yfc.net, Facebook and Instagram pages, Twitter feed @yfcusa or on Vimeo.
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To interview a Youth For Christ representative, contact Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, Jeff Tolson, 610.584.1096, ext. 108, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.
