Each morning nearly one U.S. child in five wakes up in a family struggling in poverty. These children are a community's most vulnerable citizens-and its most valuable asset.

World Vision unleashes the potential of our nation's children and youth growing up in poverty, empowering them to walk into a hope-filled tomorrow. The Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) is World Vision's signature program in the U.S., unleashing young people's wisdom, creativity, and passion to lead positive change in their communities. YEP's success demonstrates that youth do not have to be passive participants in their communities. With training and encouragement, youth in challenged communities across the U.S. continue to learn to become involved in their communities, identify issues that tether them to poverty, and find lasting solutions to these issues.

Through YEP, youth ages 14 to 18 are:

• Gaining the tools and experiences that inspire and encourage civic participation and leadership
• Developing policy recommendations to bring positive change to their communities
• Gathering with all delegates from across the nation at the YEP Summit in Washington, D.C., to present their recommendations to their respective lawmakers
• Continuing to promote positive change in their communities, and to train other youth to do the same.

As we invest in our children and youth, we also invest in our communities. My goal is to raise $1,500 to give a Twin Cities youth growing up in a challenged neighborhood the opportunity to participate in YEP. Will you please join me in supporting this young person in making a difference for his community - and for us?

Thank you for your generous response. With your help, we can make a difference for children growing up in poverty in the Twin Cities!