YOUTH CONGRESS::..........

History

Since its onset in 1993, Operation Make A Difference (OMAD), Inc. a non-profit organization that serves youth and their families with no paid staff, has maintained the tradition of holding the annual youth congress every third weekend of February. Formerly known as the Haitian American Youth Congress, Youth Congress was started as a means to reach second generation Haitian American youth who were disconnected culturally from their church experience due to the language barrier. This year Youth Congress is scheduled for February 17-19, 2012.

Youth Congress is a weekend of activities in which participants of diverse ethnic, religious and secular backgrounds can experience the grace of the Almighty through music, workshops, testimonies, fellowship, and listening to the Word of God. The weekend kicks off Friday evening at 6:30 pm. On Saturday, the educational workshops occur from 10:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., followed by a worship service from 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Congress ends Sunday evening with a worship celebration from 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Many volunteers from various professional fields offer their time and talent to not only enrich the participants’ lives through workshops but also offer them a solid foundation to fight the negative influences of this society, and allowing them to remain truthful to their faith.

While the activities of the weekend are spiritual in nature, all information shared and presented must be medically accurate, provide sound principles based on credible research, and teach skills. The majority of the subjects that are discussed address contemporary youth issues like sex, alcohol, drugs, violence, family and social relationships, education (college, scholarships), to name a few. Each presenter presents a discussion outline to be reviewed by the staff-volunteer. All materials to be distributed and discussed are also reviewed to ensure accurate and up to date information.

Population

The target population continues to be youth and young adults between the ages of 13 – 23. Nonetheless, a portion of young adults over 21 serves as youth leaders and closely monitors all weekend activities. Do note that many who attend the evening services and activities are parents and guardians. Recent research indicates that working with youth require the attention and active involvement of their families, particularly. As such we strive to provide a forum that is accessible and comfortable for the youth and their families throughout the year and for them to have a strong presence at Congress.

Along with more than 25 organizational partners in the Boston area and surrounding neighborhoods that participate in this event, our work consists of hosting out-of-state youths, interdenominational faith members and community activities for education and establishing mutual rapport.