Friday, December 23, 2011

2011 was a Year of HOPE for us.

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End of year message from our Founder, @JabulaniMyeza

Thanks for an amazing year, Happy Holidays everyone from the Youth of Choice family and we look forward to a YEAR of CHANGE in 2012! The world around you is waiting to be changed. What will you do to change the world in 2012? Tweet a Pledge using hash tag #Pledge4Change. Thank you supporting our movement and we hope you would continue to help us make 2012 a year of CHANGE!


Tuesday, December 13, 2011

YOU ARE AMAZING! Thanks #Youth of Choice volunteer

Yoc_volunteers

The key to our success
rests in 
people like you,
who embody the spirit of our organization
by saying, "Take Action, and Inspire Change!"
Thanks for your inspiring dedication
and tremendous example to the world.


Now that this year comes to end,
we say THANK YOU with our grateful hearts.
We want to thank you for your dedication,
and being there in good and bad times.
Words cannot convey our gratitude
for your tremendous contribution.


With gratitude in our hearts
for your contributions to our cause,
we wanted to thank you and wish you Happy Holidays.
We give you a personal round of applause.
The credit for your good deeds
firmly rests with people you have touched.
Thank you!


Thank you so much
for all of your hard work
and to bear witness to your passion
was an unexpected perk.
We never could have asked
for a more dedicated volunteer
and words cannot express
how grateful we are to have you here.
It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with you.
Thank you.


To volunteer with us, follow this link http://www.youthofchoice.org/get-involve/get-involved/


 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

WHY A NEED FOR A FRESH NEW LOOK WEBSITE, OUR FOUNDER EXPLAINS

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Goal:  Is to create a call to action via a digital platform using the power of the website to get young people to take action on casues that they care about.
 
To accomplish this monumental task, there is a need to re-invent the Youth of Choice digital platform, www.youthofchoice.org. The new site will enable young people — wherever they are to:
 
To action: Inspires positive action, connects young people with causes they care about and offers tools needed to take action.
 
Donate: Visitors to the site can easily donate to the Youth of Choice campaigns.
 
Share: The site to provide simple tools and ideas for young people to leverage their own social media platforms to start their own campaigns. It must also let visitors create club profiles,  upload photos of their campaigns and share their campaigns.
 
In addition, the site will maximize online activity related to Youth of Choice activities, including Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Blog and Mxit.
 
The new website will help leverage our new brand strategy, which includes a new marketing strategy, social platforms, mobile app (not yet) and the new stacked logo without the icon.  The stacking of words with a new tag line, is simple, yet seamlessly evokes a call for action to young people. The powerful tag line will help us to make a call to action everytime, while collectively urging young people to take positive action. Throughout the re-branding phase we have engaged our target market and media properties to utilize the logo in a variety of unique and supportive ways.
 
Collective Visibility
 
Graphic t-shirts, caps, hoodies, pins, sweatbands and stickers will be available for purchase through the Youth of Choice offices. Young people are encouraged to wear Youth of Choice products while taking action to show their support for our great cause.
 
Inspiring action
 
The formation of Youth of Choice and the creation of the Youth of Choice brand are both solid testaments to the power and efficiencies that can be unlocked when young people are given the platform, resources, information and activation strategies to change the world for the better.

We are going LIVE this Friday, 11 November 2011 and we look forward to hear your feedback on the site. Many thanks to our creative team from SnazzBiz and our staff at the office for their input.
 

Youth of Choice - Non-profit Organization
Office: +27 33 342 2394
Fax: +27 86 565 6970
 

 
 

Monday, October 24, 2011

START A YOUTH OF CHOICE CLUB IN YOUR SCHOOL OR CAMPUS

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The world around you is waiting to be changed. It is waiting, desperately, for good ideas, and passion and belief. You don’t have to wait until you’re out of school. You don’t have to wait to be heard or to make change.

Youth of Choice realizes that the best ideas and the rawest passion often come from the freshest young minds. There are others like you, who have started YOC Clubs and found like-minded individuals to connect with. They are spreading the message of taking action, making a difference, and being heard through their choices. Join us in a Youth of Choice Club: we need all the help we can get, and in return, you will learn more, motivate more people, be more inspired, and gain more valuable experience.

Get the application from our office and start a club in your school or campus. Contact 033 342 2394 or email volunteer@youthofchoice.org.

Practical skills: You’ll gain valuable experience in Marketing, Event Planning, Promotions, Viral Marketing, Networking and Leadership. You will ultimately receive a letter of recognition highlighting your involvement. And each month, one YOC Club will be featured on the YOC Blog for the world to see.

 
Youth of Choice - Non-profit Organization
Office: +27 33 342 2394
Fax: +27 86 565 6970
 
 
 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

BE THE CHANGE!

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You always wanted to do something good? Great news, we have a platform for you to make a difference. Become a volunteer and be part a youth movement of choice! We believe in the power of youth and in the power in YOU!

By choosing to volunteer for Youth of Choice, you are joining a movement that is passionate about YOUTH and committed to social change. Youth of Choice hopes to inspire YOU to take action on issues that YOU see in your community. Will inspire you with the right information and ideas to help YOU make a difference.

 
WE BELIEVE YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

JOIN US!
 
Office: +27 33 342 2394
Fax: +27 86 565 6970
 
 
 

Monday, October 17, 2011

KICKING THE STREETS with Children and Youth living in the streets

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In partnership with HONCHOS, Youth of Choice organized an event called “Day of Hope” for children and youth living in the streets. This event was part of a project called “Kicking the Street” which aims to transition street children out of the street life. The bigger goal is to have a drop in center for them, an aftercare program and re-unify them with families.

 
 

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Take Action Today, start collecting Jeans for Hope...It's your time to make a difference

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You always wanted to do something good. Here is your time make a difference. Are you a young vibrant and dynamic leader in your community, at your school? Do you want to take action and help a non-profit organization of your choice (Youth of Choice) to drive this campaign?
 
We are looking for volunteers to run the JEANS 4 HOPE campaign in schools, cummunities etc. Help us collect jeans in wearable condition and all jeans collected will be handed over to local shelter home and children living in the streets. Start your own JEANS 4 HOPE drive today.
 
Follow these simple easy steps:
 
TAKE ACTION
 
1.       GET PERMISSION
 
You don't want to get on your school principal's bad side so first make sure that he or she is okay with running a drive at your school.
 
2.       GET EVERYONE ON BOARD:
 
Recruit all your friends, your teammates, people in your classes, etc to help you out. Pull out all stops if you have to - it's for a good cause!
 
3.       MAKE IT EASY:
 
Set up a jeans collection bin in the front of your school library and in the lunchroom or offer to pick up jeans from classes or houses.
 
4.       SPREAD THE WORD:
 
Promote your drive. Make more posters and flyers and use your creative energy to decorate the drop-off boxes. Post stickers on your notebooks or create Jeans 4 Hope t-shirts. The more people who know, the more jeans you'll get!
 
5.       USE YOUR VOICE:
 
Make an announcement over the PA system during morning announcements or breaks. Or talk to people during lunch, in between periods or at halftime of a sport game and shout out the cause.
 
6.       DOCUMENT YOUR DRIVE:
 
Take pics of all the jeans you've collected and send them to us.
 
7.     CHALLENGE YOUR FRIENDS:
 
Have classes compete to see who can collect the most. Or have your teachers agree to do crazy things if you hit certain goals. Just make it fun!
 
8.       CLOSE IT DOWN:
 
Officially end the drive by posting the number of jeans you collected in the main reception area or lunchroom and/or make an announcement over the loud speaker
 
9.       DONATE THE JEANS:
 
Drop off your jeans at Youth of Choice offices, 134 Loop Street between October and November 25, 2011.
 
10.    REPORT BACK:
 
Don't forget to let the teacher in charge on community outreach and the Principal know how many jeans you've collected. Submit your report and all your awesome photos and stories to jeans4hope@youthofchoice.org