Empowering Youth

Every summer, at a campsite not so far away, magical memories are made. For over 20 years, Hephzibah has organized Camp HepSIBah, a summer camp experience that reunites siblings separated by the child welfare system. Approximately 75% of siblings in foster care are placed in separate foster homes, compounding the trauma they have experienced after being removed from homes filled with abuse and neglect.

Camp HepSIBah not only rekindles sibling bonds, but also offers older siblings an opportunity to become young leaders as a way prepare them for life beyond foster care. The Junior Counselor program at Camp HepSIBah provides teen campers with real-life leadership experience like organizing activities, assisting in directing younger campers and serving as positive peer role models.

Another group of youth being trained as local leaders are the Future Philanthropists of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation. This program, led by high school students, bestows grants on local organizations which offer programs directly benefiting young people and provide youth with leadership opportunities. The program also mentors teens on how to evaluate grant requests and make informed decisions while giving back to the community. Through the program, they also learn to become effective volunteers and engaged civil leaders.

This year, these two admirable programs were connected when the Future Philanthropists selected the Junior Counselor program as a recipient of a Future Philanthropists grant. The collaboration of these youth-led programs is an example of how peers supporting each other can positively impact youth and empower them to engage in their communities. The Future Philanthropists learn the art of philanthropy while the Junior Counselors learn about job expectations, proper performance, and teamwork. This grant, in the amount of $2,200, will go towards training supplies, performance incentives and pay for the Junior Counselors work at camp.

We are dedicated to creating long-standing, mutually beneficial community relationships. We are also passionate about empowering the children we serve and providing them with the tools they need to lead a stable and meaningful life. Teens helping teens is a pathway to the future that will yield wonderful things, and help them all to thrive and flourish.