Rochester Rotary Announces $3,000 Partnership with RAYA
Works with Teen Council to address Mental Health Challenges
Recently, the Rochester Rotary Charities voted unanimously to provide a $3,000 grant to the Rochester Area Youth Assistance (RAYA) Self Care Kit Initiative. This program, organized by the RAYA Youth Council, is focused on addressing the mental and emotional well-being of their students in middle school and high school.
“One of Rotary’s main focuses is youth. We felt that this was a vital way to help local youth cope with the added pressures caused by the pandemic,” states Rochester Rotary Charities President Ron Diliddo.
Over the past few months, the youth council has met to design and implement a program that allows young people to address their emotional and mental health from the comfort of their own homes. The kits contain a guided journal, yoga cards, and other tools hand-picked by teens to give students the tools to reflect on their emotions and create healthy options for expression.
The teen self-care kits will be distributed to all middle and high school counseling offices in the Rochester Community School District. These kits will be provided to students at no cost and are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“Over the past two years, students have experienced several unusual situations that have affected their mental health,” states RAYA’s President, Debbie Jones. “It is thanks to community organizations like Rochester Rotary we can address these critical issues affecting our local community.
Those interested in making a tax-deductible donation to support this initiative can visit raya-mi.org or email RAYA@rochester.k12.mi.us.
About the Rochester Area Youth Assistance
RAYA is a non-profit organization whose goal is to strengthen youth and families in the Rochester Community and reduce the incidence of delinquency, abuse, and neglect through community partnerships.