Dear Guard Family & Friends,
Max and I have just returned from meetings in DC where National Guard Bureau and the Youth ChalleNGe Foundation are celebrating 25 years of ChalleNGe in 2018, providing at-risk youth a ‘second chance’ to become successful, productive young adults. Nationally, over 100,000 lives have been forever changed!
In July 2017, the first class of Cadets entered our new Tennessee Volunteer ChalleNGe Academy (TNVCA) in Nashville. Volunteer ChalleNGe graduated 23 young Tennesseans in December, with three obtaining a HS Diploma, 10 obtaining a HiSet (GED) and all others returning home with a renewed determination to complete their education at their hometown high school.
Our TNVCA is making a difference in the lives of Tennessee’s youth! We now have 48 new students attending our second class and we will soon reach our target goal of 100 Cadets per class. A recent Facebook post from a ChalleNGE parent states “this academy changed my youngest son’s life…..there are no words to express my appreciation for the people at TNVCA that worked so hard with him.”
Many of you have asked how you can help support Tennessee’s new program – Our TNVCA facility includes a library with lots of beautiful, but EMPTY, oak bookshelves! With your help, we can fill these shelves and create a library with age appropriate novels, biographies and reference books for our 16-18 year old Cadets.
Please consider donating ‘new or gently used’ books to the Tennessee Volunteer Challenge Academy! How you can support this Book Drive service project:
1. Bring a book to the NGATN or EANGTN conference! (TNVCA will have a table and Cadets at each conference.)
2. Mail/deliver a book from home to TNVCA! (Attn: Jessie Ruf, 3965 Stewarts Lane, Nashville TN 37218)
3. Order a book online! (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Thriftbooks – send a ‘new or gently used’ book directly to the mailing address above.)
Below is a list of recommended books and a flyer you can share with others.
I hope you will join me in this special service project to support our Academy and the many young Cadets it serves while they attend the 22-week residential portion of the program.
If you are interested in doing even more – (become a Mentor for a graduating Cadet!) – please contact Academy Director Gary Ensminger at Gary.Ensminger@tn.gov.
Thanks for all you do to support our great state, our National Guard, and these young Tennesseans!
With sincere appreciation,
Anne