The Camel Project announced Wednesday that it is partnering with the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading (YVC) to address the plague of violence in the Berks County area through the new Human & Kind youth initiative.
Seeing a need to understand better what youth in the community are experiencing, The Camel Project approached the YVC to organize a group of young people from throughout Berks to meet monthly and share their ideas on what adults need to do and what they need adults to stop doing, to address the issue of violence and aggressive behavior the local area. This youth group selected the new program name, Human & Kind.
For its first project, the Human & Kind group will be assembling Motivation Machines on April 25, 2022, at 6 pm at the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading office in the Goggle Works. Like gumball machines, these mobile devices will dispense positive affirmations available to anyone who needs support, youth and adults alike. Along with the Motivation Machines interactive display, a message board will allow youth and adults to leave a positive note for someone that needs to hear something positive. Locations of the Motivation Machines will be rotated through area schools and service agencies. The project is youth-driven; the Human & Kind members will create the affirmations and logos and monitor the displays at their school.
“Our two organizations are stronger together and both need to understand what area youth need from adults for emotional wellness. We wanted to do something to enhance what is already happening in our schools and youth organizations focusing on emotional support,” says Pam Gockley, Executive Director of The Camel Project. “We need to help youth and adults balance their emotions and mental wellness with positive thoughts, experiential activities, and social support,” she added.
The Camel Project’s mission is to assist communities, including schools, organizations, and individuals, in changing the culture of violent and unacceptable behaviors that result in trauma and abuse. The Camel Project is a Pennsylvania nonprofit corporation and a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
VOiCEup Berks, a fund of Berks County Community Foundation and an affiliate of Youth Volunteer Corps, is a local organization dedicated to connecting all sectors of Berks County to volunteer opportunities through service learning. Formed in 2015, VOiCEup is the collaborative effort of a group of experienced volunteers committed to the power of service. As an affiliate of the Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC), VOiCEup engages youth ages 11-18 in meaningful community service.
For more information, contact Pam Gockley at (717) 964-7086.
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