Youth Town's commitment to helping troubled youth and their families find success spans over 40 years. We have created new programs such as River Quest and Youth Challenge to ensure that each child receives care in the best environment for that child.

Our programs incorporate the most effective approaches for treatment coupled with faith and the Word of God, in order to help troubled youth - and their families - find success that lasts a lifetime.

Youth come to us from many different backgrounds. They are good kids who are in need of HOPE. Often, Youth Town is their last chance.

"Things were easier when he was little. When he had a problem we could sit down and talk about it. Now, I'm at the end of my rope and we can't talk without it being an argument. Time and time again I have tried to get my child who is now a teenager, to do right. But he won't mind, stays out late, and now I'm finding that he is skipping school. Where can I turn before he gets into real trouble?"

SERENITY PRAYER:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Essay about the Serenity Prayer:

I never knew that thirteen lines could carry so much truth and wisdom.  The "Prayer for Serenity" written by Reinhold Neibuhr is a prayer I will likely be praying for the rest of my time here on this earth.

An idea came to my mind when I first read the full serenity prayer among my arrival at Youth Town.  What if, just what if, I used the serenity prayer as a source of comfort when life seems to come tumbling down?  As a door to the peace God is trying to give me.  What if I ran after the serenity prayer the same way I ran after drugs?  Meditating and praying the serenity prayer for a sense of hope and peace.  The same hope and peace drugs gave me the false promise of.  The truth instead of the lies drugs gave me.  All I wondered was, what if?

I've been fortunate of having the time to test my little hypothesis.  In fact, I've updated it to a theory.  Since it's worked for me this long, I even think I'm ready to make it a personal law.  A law I will need in order for survival in recovery.  Not only a personal law but maybe even a law all addicts could use for recovery.

Nothing in life will ever go exactly as we plan for it.  I've learned that part of the beauty of life here on Earth is its imperfection.  In order to survive in this imperfect world of ours, we have to accept that it is indeed imperfect.  However, this doesn't mean that we have to like it, just accept it.  Just like King Solomon said in the book of Ecclesiastes, we need to enjoy the little things in life.  We need to enjoy them one moment at a time.  Facing life one day at a time, because that's all we can handle.  I'm very fortunate in knowing that because I have accepted Jesus Christ into my heart, I one day will live in a perfect world.  For now, though, I'm glad I have the serenity prayer or I might just lose my sanity.

Youth Town Resident: A.B.