Each month here at Turning Point we try to have what we call "The Longest Day Ever". This day is a day in which we spend as much time as we can with the youth in therapeutic activities. This month we decided that in having "The Longest Day Ever" we would challenge ourselves and the youth to have a very long day. As in 24 hours of group and together time! The following pictures are just a snapshot of some of the things we did throughout the day. We did learn a lot about ourselves as therapists, but we also learned a lot about the youth we work with. One thing that I learned was that we were able to challenge our youth and they were able to live up to those challenges. We were also able to see a different side of many of the youth and that was neat. I think the youth were also able to see a different side of many of the adults! We had a great time and cannot wait to see what the next "Longest Day Ever" brings!
Some of our youth doing service. This was a very special part of the day as we were able to help out a couple that truly needed service, but also were very appreciative of the hard work our youth did on their yard and home.
We challenged each of the pods to cook their own meals! They did great at the challenge and some of the food was even worth eating!!!
For one of the group activities we had each youth create a mask to show their true feelings and what they are hiding on the inside. It was a powerful activity for many of them.
In the middle of the night we had a hike and this was the sight that greeted them when they arrived at the end. It was also great because it kept us warm! We held a group here about committing to the program and to the changes that need to be made to show their victims they have changed.
Of course we have to have a picture of the sun rise. We had each youth spend some quiet time and watch the sun rise and think about who they are and what they need to do in order to succeed. It was a great day. We were all very tired, but it truly was a great experience for all who were there.
Thanks for reading!