On May 13th, the youth leader of one youth group in the Tulsa area will be doused with chocolate syrup or whatever “treat” is chosen this year. His youth group will get to do the honors. Cameras will capture the moment, and a memory of fun and laughter will be firmly established. But behind the fun, a deeper purpose will be accomplished as well. The funds raised through the a playful competition will be used to support efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect – so other children and teens can have moments of laughter instead of sadness and fear.

Hope Harbor’s annual Change Campaign generally launches in April, but this year’s Teen Challenge got an early start. Area youth groups are already competing to see who can raise the most change (totals are actually divided by the number of members in the youth group to keep the competition fair) toward Hope Harbor’s efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect through parent education and early intervention with Christian counseling.

To launch the first Teen Challenge, teens were asked to consider the sheer number of children throughout the United States who face abuse and neglect each year. This year, a different approach was used – teens were asked to consider the story of one single child. One child who would be abused. One child whose life would eventually be lost. And they were asked to consider, if they could change the story for that one child, whether they would. We all hear terrifying facts and staggering numbers. The problems of others become almost abstract when we know there are so many. But if we can think of changing one life, one story, the question becomes more challenging; Will we help?