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 Aslan
Youth Ministries is a non-profit organization serving urban youth
and their families.
Aslan is headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey (USA) and reaches
out to impoverished communities in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
In 1996, Aslan established an outreach in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, West
Indies.
Aslan’s programs in New Jersey and Haiti are interconnected, with Aslan teens from America traveling to Haiti each summer to run summer day camps for Aslan’s children in Haiti. |
 For those of you who are fans of the distinguished British author, C.S. Lewis, you will recognize "Aslan" as the central character in his ever-popular series, The Chronicles of Narnia. And thanks to Walt Disney Studios and Walden Media, the name “Aslan” is now known around the world. Since its release in December of 2005, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe has become one of the highest grossing movies of all time! With a world-wide box office total of $745 million dollars, Narnia recently surpassed Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in becoming one of the top twenty movies of all times! Disney and Walden Media have already begun filming the second Narnia movie, Prince Caspian, with a scheduled release date of Summer, 2008.
"Aslan" is a real word in the Persian and Turkish word, meaning "lion." |
Aslan was founded in 1975 by Craig and Lynn Ann Bogard and Bill and Dusty Neergaard. Craig & Lynn Ann first moved to New Jersey (after graduating from college in New Mexico) in 1971 to work with Camp Shiloh, an organization serving disadvantaged children in 11 areas in and around New York City. The Bogards one year commitment to Camp Shiloh was spent with 9 months in New Jersey and 3 months in East New York Brooklyn. They subsequently returned to the Southwest to join Craig’s sister, Dusty, and her husband, Bill, in ministry in El Paso, Texas. However, the Bogard’s time with Camp Shiloh in New Jersey had changed them forever, and in 1975 the Bogards and Neergaards officially incorporated Aslan and moved to New Jersey to minister to disadvantaged children in Monmouth County.
Until 1987, the two couples tirelessly ministered side-by-side, day-in and day-out, to see Aslan become a success. Every summer (and select times throughout the year), the Bogards and Neergaards also traveled around the country as the singing group Aslan. From 1971 until 1985 they recorded professionally with music producer, Norman Petty (Buddy Holly’s manager and co-writer of many of his most famous hits) until Mr. Petty’s death in 1985. In 1987 the Neergaards returned to New Mexico, and at that time the Bogards assumed the full leadership of Aslan Youth Ministries. Bill and Dusty continued to be intricately involved with Aslan Youth Ministries from afar. Sadly, Bill Neergaard died of ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease) in 1994. Dusty continues to be a major supporter of the ministry to this day.
Including Craig & Lynn Ann Bogard, Aslan currently employs six full-time and one part-time staff member. In addition, over 250 caring adults regularly volunteer their time and talents to serve as mentors, tutors, youth class teachers, board members, coaches, office helpers, bus drivers, and in many other creative ways. Others provide valuable in-kind services in areas such as computer consulting, pro bono legal assistance, and public relations.
As the result of Aslan's exceptional work with youth, the organization and volunteers were designated a "Presidential Point of Light" in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush.
 Since 1990, Aslan has been a member in good standing of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), a 1,100+ member national organization dedicated to the highest ethical standards in the areas of public relations and fund raising.
In 1975, long before the needs facing impoverished children in our inner cities was a popular cause in the public, private, or non-profit sectors, Aslan Youth Ministries was established in Monmouth County for the specific purpose of providing life-transforming services for disadvantaged children. In the early days of Aslan it took a great deal of perseverance to merely survive, and funding sources were almost nonexistent. Problems facing disadvantaged children were not something most individuals wanted to think about. The poor were blamed for creating their own problems and were left to solve them on their own. Aslan Youth Ministries would not accept this. In the words of British Parliamentarian Edmond Burke, “All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Aslan refused to stand by and do nothing.
After more than 30 years and hundreds of success stories, Aslan Youth Ministries continues to positively and permanently impact the needs of urban children at risk. Aslan brings these years of experience and highly successful model programs to the table. Above all, Aslan is not latchkey in nature; it does not provide services merely to "keep kids off the streets." If children are not properly educated, do not have the opportunity to learn acceptable norms of behavior, and never learn what to value in life (in particular their own lives and the lives of others), then keeping them off the streets is of little or no consequence. (Please click here to read Aslan's "Mission" .)
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Aslan's flagship program is located in Red Bank, New Jersey, and serves the children from the West Side of Red Bank along with a neighboring area in Tinton Falls. In 1990, Aslan expanded its outreach into the public housing projects of Long Branch, New Jersey. A satellite program was established in Asbury Park in the summer of 1999. In 1996, Aslan also established a part-time outreach in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, West Indies. Introducing disadvantaged teens from America to their rich and beautiful African heritage in Haiti is a truly life-transforming experience. Seeing their own serious needs in the context of the needs of the people of Haiti ~ now considered one of the four poorest nations on earth ~ forever changes the lives of our young people from America! Aslan has purchased property in Ouanaminthe, Haiti, where our first project is to build an International School of Ministry (for students from America and around the world to join Haitian and Dominican students for 3 months of study and 2 months of mission work). Our plans are then to build an orphanage, school and clinic and a center of operations.
Current goals are to increase funding and staff for programs in Red Bank, Long Branch, and Asbury Park so that more children can be reached. The end result will be changed lives: children who learn there is strength in "turning the other cheek" rather than taking a gun to school and killing teachers and classmates . . . children who will not allow "I can't!" to be a part of their vocabularies . . . children who refuse to perpetuate the cycle of failure that has plagued their families for generations!
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