INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Youth Guidance Mentoring and Activities Program is partnering with Nancy Heinrich, founder of Growing Healthy Kids, to teach the Youth Guidance children how to make healthy food choices. They are also learning about gardening and exercising for good health at their monthly meetings held at outdoor locations about town. Growing Healthy Kids, a Youth Guidance Silver Sponsor, is an innovative garden-based program to teach children and their families how to reverse childhood obesity.
The Youth Guidance group met at Riverside Park in September, Everything Outdoors garden boutique in October 17 and the Vero Beach Museum of Art Sculpture Garden in November. At each meeting the children and their volunteers enjoyed gardening and food-related activities, exercise, and even a scavenger hunt.
The Youth Guidance agency serves 700 K-12 at-risk children who live in low-income single-parent homes. Opportunities abound for members of the community to volunteer with Youth Guidance as an ongoing mentor, as a one-time companion of a child at special events such as this one that occur throughout the year, or helping in the office on a regular basis. The monthly newsletter found at the Youth Guidance website, www.ircyouth.com, tells about upcoming activities.
Information: Visit www.ircyouth.com or call Barbara Schlitt Ford at (772) 770-5040.