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Allentown, PA
“This is my mission. God asked me to take care of his children.” And take care of his children, she does. Mary Griffin, founder and Executive Director of The Caring Place Youth Development Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is not your typical volunteer.
Featured last February in Family Circle Magazine for her outstanding dedication to her community, Griffin has been repeatedly exposed to children in crisis. Originally a case-worker for Allentown housing projects, Griffin says she realized her true purpose after watching children at the housing project hurriedly line up to receive -- not food or school supplies -- but hugs from Griffin’s mother, who was visiting the office.
To Griffin, the children looked hungry for not only hot meals and education, but also for love. This changed her life, her career and is responsible for the birth of The Caring Place. In 1996, Griffin left her paying position to open the youth development center, taking on 12 children and offering after-school tutoring and food resources. Only half a year later, Griffin’s endeavors had caught on and The Caring Place needed a new, larger location.
The center relocated, and Griffin took on more children, expanding not only in size, but also in activities for more than 30 children who now attend the programs daily. Kept afloat by donations and grants, The Caring Place Youth Development Center stays true to its emphasis on love and not just education and food. Griffin seems to understand that yes, these children may be missing a meal -- a void she can and does fill -- but they may also be in need of a hug, a shoulder to cry on or a role model to help them cultivate their goals. Offering piano lessons, science lab, history lessons, hot meals and even a fully functioning health clinic added to the establishment in 2004, Griffin is sure to cover the basics these children need. Still, Children are greeted with hugs first, expected to abide by the rules and taught that even if they make a mistake, they are always allowed to return to the center to correct it. Griffin teaches these children what they had not been offered before attending the Caring Center: A combination of love, respect and discipline.
The Caring Place also houses an entrepreneurship program, where older children and teens are encouraged to operate a nearby café to learn the ropes of running a business. Griffin is proud to see many of her kids go on to college, and in previous interviews she has stressed the importance of an education in today’s competitive job market. Although several full-time employees now staff The Caring Place, many of the center’s staff are unpaid volunteers. Griffin -- despite her role as Executive Director -- is also a volunteer. She struggles financially, but stays true to her calling and dreams that The Caring Place will soon expand to see centers in Chicago, D.C., Philadelphia and California. (Auriane de Rudder) To volunteer with The Caring Place, or to find more information on the center, please visit their website at www.thecaringplace.org
To read more pick up the current issue of Crunk Magazine
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