Tuesday 12 August 2014

What do you think of when you hear talk of the word ‘halo’?

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
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