AY Honors/Identifying Community Needs/Requirements
Identifying Community Needs
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Year Introduced:
Prologue: This honor is available only to clubs inside the North American Division. For those outside the North American Division, use the Community Assessment honor instead.
1. Jesus understood the needs of his community because he went out and saw their needs. Read Matthew 9:35-38.
2. Select an urban or suburban neighborhood, a small town or a rural region on which to focus in the completion of the requirements for this honor.
3. Compile a file folder of information on the selected community, which could include:
- a. A map of the area
- b. A demographic profile
- c. Public health statistics
- d. Economic indicators
- e. Housing information
- f. Environment and transportation
4. With an adult sponsor, take an awareness walk of or drive around a specific part of the selected community with the goal in mind of seeing human needs. List all of the needs you see such as yards and public areas that could be cleaned up, litter that could be picked up, lonely or aged people that could be helped, low-income families with children that could be assisted, etc.
5. Ask a civic leader or community professional about the needs in the community, the various organizations that provide services in the community, and how a Christian youth group might make a contribution to the community. Take notes during the interview.
Alternate Requirement: Invite a civic leader or community professional to make a presentation to your Pathfinder Club, youth group, or church group to talk about these topics. Takes notes during the presentation.
6. Make a presentation of at least 10 minutes to a local church committee, community service organization, your Pathfinder Club or Unit, or a similar group. This presentation should include a report of the information you collected and at least 3 suggested projects that the local Adventist Community Services (in the United States), ADRA Canada (in Canada), Youth Empowered to Serve, or Pathfinder Club might provide which are needed in this community.
