MISSION STATEMENT:

Youth For Truth Performing Arts Company

MISSION :

To counteract the deteriorating condition of the youth generation through the impact potential of drama, music, and dance; and to aid in the moral and spiritual development of Western New York and beyond.

Vision

Our Company is and will remain a performing arts company with a thrust on developing Christian character in youth. We will operate with a Moral/Biblical Foundation, providing development opportunities mentally, emotionally and spiritually for the youth generation of Western New York.

Our core operations will be through theatrical performances. We will maintain a tight focus on emphasizing morality and right choice through the portrayal of true-life testimonies.

TEEN STATISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

Our Company is concerned with the deteriorating condition of the youth generation. Wrong choices are being made everyday as evidenced by the following statistics.

Everyday in this country:

135 teenagers bring guns to school (Source: CDF - Children’s Defense Fund)
2,989 teenagers see their parents divorce (Source: CDF)
More than 4,800 teens smoke their first cigarette (Source: American Lung Assoc.)
6 teenagers commit suicide (Source: CDF)
437 teenagers are arrested for drinking (Source: CDF)
211 teenagers are arrested for drug abuse (Source: CDF)
3,288 teens run away from home (Source: CDF)
7,742 teens become sexually active (Source: CDF)
623 teenagers get syphilis or gonorrhea (Source: CDF)
1,295 teenagers give birth (Source: CDF)
1,106 teenagers have abortions (Source: CDF)

Teen Statistics in the USA Continued:

Between 1.3 and 2.8 million runaway and homeless youth live on the streets each year (Source: Uniform Crime Reports, FBI)
1 out of 8 teens suffer from depression (Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth between 15-19 (Source: USA Today)
3 million teens are alcoholics (Source: Newsweek)
60% of all young people are sexually active by 17 years old (Source: AP News)

Of the 30 million abortions, 25% of them have been performed on teenagers (Source: US Bureau of Statistics)
12 million teenagers are involved in Satanism/Witchcraft and between 50/60,000 human sacrifices are performed every year (Source: Satanism in America)
33% of special needs teens are estimated to be involved in school bullying (Source: Garrity & Barris)

These overwhelming statistics saturate the media with articles on the troubles of today’s teens. The condition of youth has significantly deteriorated. However, in this country, one teenager making the right choice can send a message that will impact thousands.

Target Population

Our target population is at-risk youth between the ages of 12-19 who are attending Public and Private Middle and High Schools in the city and suburbs of Buffalo. This includes:

Economically disadvantaged youth.

Youth who are “at-risk” (this includes youth who live in poverty, youth who are subjected to violence, and youth who are tempted daily by immoral and unethical conditions/behaviors).
Youth today live in a world very different from that of their parents or grandparents. Buffalo, NY is in Erie County, which holds the second highest teen pregnancy rate out of every county in New York State. The youth of Erie County not only struggle with decisions related to sex, pregnancy and abortion, but also contend with the social ills of drugs, alcohol, suicide, bullying, violence, poverty, gambling and stress related issues provoked by peer pressure.
Troubled youth who have made wrong choices and need encouragement and solutions to the circumstances that they are encountering.
Violence within the Buffalo Public Schools is rampant, with 1,046 students suspended from September 2006 to January 2007.