The Youth Trust All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast is set for Saturday, March 17 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. It will be held at the Orange Grove Center, with parking available at 2313 Citico Avenue. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door or from Youth Trust members.
Youth Trust works with the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga to help middle school students from Chattanooga and North Georgia learn about leadership and responsibility. Each year, the group holds a retreat at YMCA Camp Ocoee to help participants develop skills such as conflict resolution and self-motivation, but smaller events are organized every other month. In January, for instance, Youth Trust students volunteered with Chambliss Center for Children.
Rosa, a ninth grader at Baylor School, participated in the group during middle school and now continues to volunteer as a leader for younger students.
“I’ve been able to meet a lot of new people and learn how to network better,” she said. “It’s a really amazing program.”
Youth Trust works with guidance counselors at local schools, both private and public, to reach out to students who might benefit from the program.
Donations and fundraising events, such as the upcoming All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast, help keep Youth Trust and its retreat free to students, so that children from all socioeconomic backgrounds can participate.