Aslan Youth Ministries

A Presidential Point of Light

58 Maple Avenue * Post Office Box 270 * Red Bank, New Jersey 07701-0270
Telephone: 732-741-7824 * Facsimile: 732-741-3284 * E-Mail: aslanyouth@aslanyouth.org
Web Address: http://www.aslanyouth.org

Dear Friend,

Back in December I wrote to you about James*, a seven-year-old boy in our program. Many of you will remember that James was having all kinds of problems in school, and his behavior had become extremely difficult. The school he was attending told Elyssa* and Mark*, James’ mother and stepdad, that he was very slow and needed to be placed in a special school for slow learners. The administration placed James on permanent in-school suspension.

When Elyssa came to us, she was completely distraught. She knew that James was a very bright boy, but she had no way to help him unless Aslan got involved. Through a generous donor, we were able to pay tuition costs so that James could transfer to Westside Christian Academy. Through another generous donor, we were able to provide Elyssa and Mark with a reliable car to take him back and forth to school each day. When James entered Westside, he tested so low his reading skill levels were below pre-kindergarten - literally off the charts! Because so much time was required to bring James’ reading levels up to where they should be, Lynn Ann had to volunteer as a class aid for six hours per week over the past several months. Our persistence, however, has paid off!

We recently got a letter from James’ new school regarding his progress. Their motto is Helping Children Beat the Odds, and James has been beating them! In three short months his reading level jumped from not being on the charts to a first grade level! Equally important, however, is the tremendous improvement in his overall attitude toward school, other children and adults. To be sure, James can still be a handful. However, he has grown and matured tremendously in a very short amount of time and he is becoming a joy to those around him.

Although Elyssa and Mark are very loving and supportive, they live in one of the most dangerous and difficult areas of Monmouth County. The environment where James is growing up is not a good one. As evidenced by the sign across the street from James’ house, drug dealing and drug busts are common daily occurrences in this section of his city. As Lynn Ann and our volunteers were driving to James’ street two years ago to deliver Christmas baskets, they arrived to find the street blocked off by 5 police cars. It was total chaos with policemen everywhere. One patrolman had fired a warning shot in the air, and one young man was sitting on the ground handcuffed. As they walked up and down the street to deliver the baskets, they witnessed the father of one of our Aslan kids being handcuffed and hauled off to jail. As much as their parents would like to move the family elsewhere, they simply can’t afford to. They cannot escape, but because of Aslan they can find hope. James’ progress has been so remarkable that we are now trying to raise the funds to send his sister to school with him.

I hope from reading this letter that you can see how critically important your support is to the ongoing work of Aslan. Without a kind and generous donor who is providing $200.00 per month for tuition, James would be languishing in a classroom for slow learners and would never have the possibility of reaching his potential. Without a kind and generous individual who donated their vehicle to Aslan for a family in need, Elyssa and Mark would have no possible way to get James back and forth to school each day. Through your faithful giving to Aslan Youth Ministries, you are changing lives. And through your continued generosity, new generations of Aslan success stories will surely be told – with all the glory going to God!

Sincerely in Christ,
Craig
Craig Bogard

*We have purposefully changed the names of James and his family to protect their privacy.