To some, it’s a futuristic
military science fiction video game of interstellar war between humanity and an
alliance of aliens, in which halos are large habitable structures designed to
destroy all sentient life. For those who
enjoy gazing at the stars rather than the screen, the word may bring to mind
circular bands of coloured light around a sun or moon, which, those with
scientific minds will know, are caused by the refraction and reflection from
ice particles suspended in the atmosphere; and for those whose thoughts centre
upon other heavenly realms, a halo may provoke an image of a ring of light
floating above the head of a sacred figure as depicted in religious paintings.
For the A WAY OUT Youth Project
workers and a group of young people in a local area, the word ‘HALO’ is
something to get excited about, something to feel good about and something that
has been occupying their minds and their time each Wednesday night for a number
of weeks. HALO for this group of young
people, youth workers and volunteers means Helping And Loving Others.
Each week the group come together
as a team and work hard in their local community to make it a better place to
be, to make it glow in a new way by picking up discarded litter, tidying up
gardens and even planting flowers and seeds.
And it’s not just the area that glows in a new way! For the young people involved, a light has
been switched on in their minds as they look for new ways to improve their
environment, and in their hearts as they take pride in improving their
surroundings; a light that is reflected in the faces of their families when
they see their youngsters working hard and making a difference in a positive
way.
HALO is just one of the weekly
youth outreach projects that A WAY OUT coordinates, alongside youth club
drop-in sessions, local visits and residential activity weekends for young
people who may otherwise not have the opportunity to venture outside of their
immediate local area. None of these
activities would be possible without the invaluable assistance of local
volunteers, the generosity of charitable trusts and kindness of individual
donations.
If you would like to be part of helping local
young people shine by making a positive difference to their community and in
turn, widen their horizons for the future, why not make a donation or become a
regular giver; or for more information about volunteering with A WAY OUT, you too could become part of helping and loving others.
With love from A Way Out x
