Hope and Friendship Foundation's "Dear Younger Me" coming March 22nd

**Hope and Friendship Foundation (not)INVINCIBLE & Lemont High School present: “Dear Younger Me- Conversations on navigating through the difficulties of adolescence here in our corner of the world.” on Wednesday March 22

This event focuses on conversations for our young people and their parents WITH our young people and their parents. There will be three (3) conversations:

*A Lemonter who grappled his way from rock bottom to admired and appreciated leader and mentor. Now as a father he will share his story and how he hopes to help his kids and those young friends, and older than young friends, within his arm's reach. The 20 minutes we have with him will not be enough, but it will start a great conversation that we can continue!

*Mary and Jordyn were a part of a family of 6- within 3 years they became a family of 3. Mary losing 2 of her children and her husband to the effects of drugs and suicide. Jordyn dealt numbed the pain of the losses with drugs and eventually came near to joining her father and siblings. Mom and daughter will have a conversation on pain, survival, recovery (Jordyn will be 3 years clean in May!!!) and getting back up. What would they tell their younger self? Mary has comforted many parents and been a warrior of support for even more. The 20 minutes we have with them will not be enough, but it will start a great conversation that we can continue!

*A beautiful and amazing group of young people, all graduates of Lemont High School (our beautiful young people growing up!), have been working, via Zoom calls, to put this event together. During our conversation we will not only move through some of the questions and concerns put forward to us from the Google Form but they will also share their experiences having grown up here, navigated through adolescence here, experienced many highs and lows here, and how they have opened their wings yet kept their roots and what they would like to share with not only their "younger me" but also with the younger friends who are currently navigating through "here" and this chapter. The 20 minutes we have with them will not be enough, but it will start a great conversation that we can continue!

All of us truly hope you will put Wed. March 22nd 6-8:30pm on your calendar to join us.

I have such passion for our young people and each time I received a text from another young friend who offers to join me in planning and facilitating this event I became teary eyed. I love my young friends and I only hope this night will put some words in the air that will fall on ears who appreciate the true and genuine, selfless hearts who offer them. It matters enough to them to be present to offer their time and passion, I hope they see the same when they look out into the audience that night.

We have amazingly compassionate young leaders here in our corner of the world and they want to share some things they learned as they navigated through adolescence here in this community.

The team of young people that are working on the upcoming (not)INVINCIBLE event need your student's help:

Quick Questionnaire for middle and high schoolers. Help us focus on what you want to hear at "Dear younger me" -Wed March 22nd Lemont High School PAC- 7-8:30

Google Form for youth offered questions/concerns: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKfj-lc-OOu5CjxoJZAtMrvxW6_48bgjk6xRwfvAQtIItbpA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Seeking Youth Focused Groups/Sports/Organizations/Support Systems for the "Dear Younger Me" Resource Fair in the halls outside of the PAC- Wed. March 22nd 6-7pm

Google Form for Resource Fair to reserve a table (no charge!!): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeIUtUXDE98TUN7Olq3lyqTJYnnCFzRxSMgrWETJ4-j1y0PBg/viewform?usp=sf_link

www.hopeandfriendshipfoundatio...