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Everyone experiences moments of crisis. Every
one of us comes now and then to a point in life- a Turning Point-where
we are required to make some difficult choices. For a teenager
or young adult, this period of decision-making is critical, because
if the decision made is not the correct one, his life may take
a devastating, tragic or even fatal turn. Sometimes too, the result
of a bad decision may be the beginning of a series of negative
experiences which affects family and friends.
 No
one knows the threshold, the "Turning Point," for another
individual. Everyone has his own tolerance level for emotional
pain. What we do know, however, is that everyone needs someone
to turn to when the pain becomes unbearable. Everyone needs a
listening ear, a calming and soothing presence; someone to offer
hope and compassion-without fear of betrayal.
Many young people experience overwhelming
and almost unbearable emotional pain when they suffer the break-up
of a friendship, significant relationship, are teased and taunted
by schoolmates, ostracized because of ethnicity, race, color,
background, etc. Others suffer as a result of the death of a loved
one, suicide of a friend, divorce, unplanned pregnancy and/or
forced abortion. Others experience incredible shock or sense of
loss when they move and lose their sense of place. All of these
experiences can cause a young person to seek solace and comfort
in drugs or alcohol, premature sexual activity and, worst of all,
suicide.
We believe that young people who are struggling
with these overwhelming emotional challenges should have a place
where they can come to be heard-and someone who will listen with
compassion through this difficult crossroad. We call this place-and
the people who listen-Turning Point.
- To provide a series of life-management
and healing workshops to program participants and alumni.
- To empower participants to identify and
eliminate "energy draining" sources from their lives
and to replace these agents with "life-giving" sources
of healing and energy.
- To teach, through experiential exercises,
the tools, knowledge and skills necessary for participants to
live "addiction" free lives and thus reorient their
lives around new priorities.
- To help participants redefine their priorities
and re-order their lives based on what really matters to them
in alignment with their own nature.
- To empower participants to eradicate specific,
personal character defects from their lives and to cultivate
new, positive life principles.
- To help participants overcome obstacles
like emotional pain, depression, grief, stress, death &
loss, fear, etc.
- Caring
- Accountability
- Responsibility
- Integrity
- Nurturing
- Giving
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