It’s never too early for youth to start planning and working toward a rewarding future, whether they transition from high school to college or head right into the work force. Much of Cornerstone’s programming helps students with this planning in one way or another. However, the Tuesday evening Amp’d program, now in its second year, specifically focuses on providing college and career exploration opportunities. The Student Discovery Profile is the beginning step in completing the College and Career Readiness (CCR) Portfolio, an important part of the Amp’d program. Students complete the five action steps of the profile: • Skill/Career Assessment• Career Paths• Education Needed• Skill Set Needed• Parent/Home Survey Students continue to build their portfolio through adding information about their jobs and attending additional Amp’d sessions to build knowledge/interact with guest speakers. It is ultimately a tool to guide their decision-making into post-secondary education/training. Skill development is an important aspect of Amp’d as staff and guest speakers work with students to help them develop various life skills. For instance, students recently drew up a business plan and learned about personal finance management. Amp’d can always use additional guest speakers who are able to discuss their particular careers and/or work with students to help them develop new skills. Anyone interested in helping the Amp’d program in this manner should contact Lisa Lysaght at 623-3972. Amp’d is supported in part by funds from the Arnold Foundation, English-Bonter-Mitchell Foundation, Foellinger Foundation and Wilson Foundation.

February 2016

A N e w s l e t t e r S h a r i n g H o w t h e C o r n e r s t o n e Yo u t h C e n t e r i s C h a n g i n g L i v e s i n S o u t h e a s t A l l e n C o u n t y

FOUNDATIONSKent Castleman

Executive Director

Kevin HouseNewsletter Editor

Cornerstone Youth CenterP.O. Box 236260.623.3972www.cornerstoneyc.org

Kent Castleman, Executive Director

Non-Profit OrgUS Postage PaidMonroeville, In

Permit #6

Amp’d Helps Youth Prepare for Rewarding Futures

Center HoursMonday-Thursday

3:30-6 p.m.

Friday3:30-11 p.m.

Saturday7-11 p.m.

Education CenterMonday-Friday

3:30-6 p.m.

Junior High studentsleave at 10 p.m. Friday

and Saturday

UPCOMING EVENTS

Cornerstone is looking for volunteers to join its Fundraising Committee, which will lose three long-time members this spring.

Meeting once a month, the committee plans and oversees the organization’s fundraisers and really has a lot of fun in the process. If you are looking for a great group of dedicated volunteers to join at Cornerstone, this is the committee to join!

Fish & Chicken Dinner Friday, Mar. 114-7 p.m. @ CYC

Garage Sales Friday, Apr. 299 a.m.-6 p.m. @ CYCSaturday, Apr. 309 a.m.-1 p.m. @ CYC

Give Day Friday, May 68 a.m.-8 p.m. www.cornerstoneyc.org

All-You-Can-Eat

FISH AND CHICKEN DINNER

Cornerstone Youth Center | 19819 Monroeville Rd., Monroeville, IN 46773

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 | 4-7 p.m. | by Burns Catering & Fish Fry

Questions? 260-623-3972

Adults-$9.00Youth 6 to 10-$6.00

5 and under-Free

FISHCHICKEN STRIPS

SCALLOPED POTATOESAPPLESAUCE OR COLE SLAW*

ROLL & BUTTERDESSERT

DRINK

DINE IN, CARRY OUT, OR DRIVE THRU! Adult meals only for carry-out and drive-thru*Drive-thru meals served with cole slaw

Cornerstone members Madison Spangler, left, and Kati Cartwright work toward completing the Student Discovery Profile during an Amp’d session.

Cornerstone Seeks Volunteers forFundraising Committee

Kathy Lepper, Marci O’Shaughnessey and Sandy Stults are stepping down from committee leadership after several years. Kathy served 16 years on the committee, Marci served 14 years and Sandy, eight years. Marci will continue to coordinate the garage sales, and both Kathy and Sandy will still help as needed during events. Committee members who remain include Rhonda Hockemeyer, Joe Voirol, Carla Hockemeyer, Becky Heffernan and Julie Grannis.

Cornerstone thanks Kathy, Marci and Sandy for their outstanding support and service as fundraising leaders on the committee through these years.

To volunteer for the committee, please call Kent Castleman at 348-2973.

TEEN SUMMER CAMPS

The Force June 6-10 at CYC

Culinary and Hospitality Week June 20-24 at CYC

Leadership Week July 11-15 at CYC

Postal Patron

HolidayMagic

December 7th10 a.m

Craft Vendors atPark PavilionFire Station

Cornerstone Youth Center

Trolley Rides Downtown

Gingerbread Contestat Fire Station

Computer slow?Web pages loadslowly?Call us-we canfix it!Home computerrepairVirus and malware removal

We do businesssystems!We can install and service business computer networks, PC’s, and servers.

Need a new telephone system?We can do it all!

Financial StrategieSFocused on your goals and values

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Wells Fargo is proud to salute the Cornerstone Youth Center

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© 2015 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (1237017_14262)

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CYC Garage Sales ScheduledCornerstone’s garage sales will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays beginning this spring. The dates are as follows:

| April 29-30| May 20-21| June 10-11| July 15-16

| August 19-20| September 16-17| October 7-8| October 21-22 (bag sale)

Two New Members Join Cornerstone Board of DirectorsCornerstone recently added two new board members: Alicia (Chozie) Thorp, pictured left, and Tim Berry.

Born in the Philippines, Chozie frequently attended a youth center in Okinawa, Japan, when living there as a little girl. She later moved to Heidelberg, Germany, where she again participated regularly in activities at the local youth center.

“Some of my youth leaders listened to me during points in my life when I didn’t feel I had anyone else to turn to,” Chozie says. “Walking through the Cornerstone Youth Center brought back a flood of memories

I hadn’t thought about for years... I realized this was an opportunity to help other children have the same experience I did-put someone in their life who will hear them and see them-so they can realize they have the potential to be someone, too.”

Currently an accounts receivable analyst at Indiana Tech, Chozie is working on her bachelor’s degree in Accounting at Indiana Tech. She previously worked in several capacities for the University of Maryland University College Europe, most recently as a registration coordinator.

Monroeville resident Tim Berry, a Fort Wayne native, is the second new member of the board. He also serves as a Monroeville Town Council member. Tim’s wife, Terri, is a past secretary of the Cornerstone board.

Tim retired in 2013 after 32 years with Lincoln Food Service as an industrial maintenance technician. Since retiring, Tim has held temporary positions with the City of Fort Wayne and Allen County Government. He also is vice-chair/precinct committee person for Monroeville for the Allen County Republican Party. Tim is a charter member of the Monroeville Lions Club, having served two terms as president.

Cornerstone’s facility is undergoing several capital improvement projects this year, with upgrades to the kitchen area, lighting and technology prominent among them.

The lighting improvements, which took place at the beginning of February, involved installing LED lights to replace drop-in fluorescent fixtures throughout the office area at the front of the building. These lights are more energy efficient and will save the center more money.

Plans for the kitchen include a commercial gas range, hood vent with fire suppression, a freezerless refrigerator and an upright freezer. Improvements will enable staff to provide even better food for students during programs, allow increased skill-building during culinary workshops on Fridays, and increase capabilities for fundraisers. In addition, we will be able to give students an even better experience when they participate in our Culinary and Hospitality Week summer teen camp with stove-top cooking.

Technology upgrades will include replacement of eight-year-old desktop computers, new networking equipment and a server upgrade.

The kitchen and technology upgrades are made possible in part by funding from the McMillen Foundation and English-Bonter-Mitchell Foundation plus a limited capital improvement and replacement grant from the Foellinger Foundation.

Future projects will involve new furniture for the Coffee House, landscaping and improvements to the community garden assuming the above projects go as budgeted.

Lighting, Technology and Kitchen Upgrades in Store for CYC

Cornerstone Connections Project (CCP) students put on a zombie play at New Haven Middle School. Front Row, left to right: Alva Volz, Jay’vis Clayton, Braden Hunter and Sterling (Mason) Pfeiffer. Back Row, left to right: MaKenzie Serres, Abby Sirk, Mercedes Lee, Karissa Conn and Schivana Hazard.

CORNERSTONE CONNECTIONS

CCP students (L-R) Jay’vis Clayton, Kirsten Langston, Schivana Hazard and Isabella Scott learn about a snake brought by a Science Central representative. The students are part of Cornerstone’s after-school satellite program at New Haven Middle School.

Cornerstone’s youth are enjoying even more nutritious snacks/meals after school due to the center’s recent participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). CACFP gives financial assistance in the form of a grant to Cornerstone to provide healthy food meeting USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) requirements. Cornerstone falls under the At-Risk After School Meal Program, in which centers from low-income areas provide free snacks and suppers to school-age youth. The youth center receives so much money per student to purchase the food, which is in four categories: meat or meat alternate, fruit or vegetable, grains or bread and milk. Each snack must consist of items from two of those areas. For example, one snack could feature cheese (dairy) and grapes (fruit). Cornerstone does not include milk as one of the two items. CACFP is administered by the USDA and the Indiana Department of Education, Division of School and Community Nutrition Programs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital or family status.

Cornerstone Youth Benefit from Food Program

THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS Cornerstone is a Thrivent Financial Choice Dollars organization. As 2015 Choice Dollars expire this March 31, people may call 1-800-847-4836 to direct their Choice Dollars to Cornerstone.