Avon Launches Youth Assistance Program

For the past several years, the Plainfield Youth Assistance Program has been working with students who are experiencing life struggles.

It was an idea cultivated by the Plainfield Community School Corporation, retired Hendricks County Judge Karen Love, and numerous businesses and organizations.

The reasons a teen is struggling can be widespread. Maybe a parent is ill at home or lost a job, a teen gets involved with the wrong crowd, or they’re dabbling in alcohol or drug use. It can show up in the form of behavioral issues, plummeting grades, school absence and more.

Once the program was up and running, proving the custom approach with intervention advocates was working, they aimed to take it further across Hendricks County. Now, under the umbrella of the Hendricks County Youth Assistance Program, they’ve joined efforts at the Avon Community School Corporation.

The Avon Youth Assistance Program (AYAP) launched over the summer, with Melissa Echerd and Victoria Allen as intervention advocates. Executive Director Staci Hovermale will lead both programs.

“Since we began in early August, we’ve served nine individuals and have 20 pending cases,” Hovermale said. “The focus here is working [with] Avon Academy and Avon High School students struggling with suspension and expulsion. All of our referrals will come from the academy or counselors at the high school.”

It’s truly a team effort. The academy has many resources, and while the staff focuses on education, the AYAP team can focus on food pantry needs, life skills and mental health needs.

Allen began working at Avon Academy when they opened in 2023. She had already formed relationships with students while in the nursery, working with the babies brought in by teen moms.

It’s important to note that none of the youths are “bad”; rather, they’ve been met with challenges anyone their age could have trouble managing.

“All of us have been in a season in our life where we could have used this program,” Hovermale said. “We picked the wrong friend, we’re going through a divorce or we got laid off. I think we’re coming in at the right time, and we’re grateful Avon Schools is allowing us to come in and help these teens in the ways they need.”

Those needs run the gamut, based on each student and their specific situation.

“We’re working with homelessness, teen moms and passing required courses,” Allen said. “Students at Avon Academy simply have a credit deficiency for graduation. It doesn’t mean they have bad behavior; they just need a smaller environment.”

Echerd said it’s helpful that many of the teens already had a connection with Allen when they launched the new program. She was in prevention education at Sheltering Wings, advocating for victims of domestic abuse for over a decade, and worked with youths in several capacities.

“My experience at the shelter has given me the perspective of how all of these things can culminate for a student,” Echerd said. “I’ve seen firsthand how teens coming into adulthood don’t have the foundation they need. They’re looking at managing a bank account, getting their driver’s license, and we want to give them those foundational pieces.”

One unique difference between the Plainfield and Avon programs is the age group advocates are helping. In Plainfield, grades kindergarten through 12 qualify for the program, but in Avon, things are a bit different.

“We don’t have the luxury Plainfield has, working with elementary through high school,” Hovermale said. “We have a couple of years at best to find a trade, get a job, get a diploma and get a driver’s license. I’ve been talking with Avon for a couple of years and they didn’t really know where the gap was until the academy came along. As more and more teens were trying to figure out car insurance, day care, taxes and other things, the staff at the academy were going way beyond the scope of their education goals.”

Now, partnering with AYAP, students are receiving resources to meet all of their goals and they’re recognizing the value the program brings. In just the past several months, students have been requesting to work with the AYAP team.

“They are seeing the extra assistance and they’re tuned in to asking for extra help,” Echerd said. “That’s been very cool to see. They want to be successful and they want the help.”

As the program progresses, the AYAP team foresees changes, expansion and improvements.

Hovermale said that aside from their own thoughts and ideas, the teens will likely lead the way.

“The kids will help us generate ideas,” Hovermale said. “As they dream and talk about what they are passionate about, we’ll find those resources if we don’t have them already. We know we’re going to need additional tutoring and mentoring, and that’s going to require more volunteers.”

Echerd agreed. She is accustomed to carrying around an idea book, for those moments when she recognizes the need is there and she knows just who to contact.

“I’ve already got ideas in my head, and there are resources and people I know in the community that will say, ‘How can I help?’” Echerd said. “That’s going to be an important piece. We need to let the community know that they play a role here too. It’s not just us or just the school; it’s going to be the entire community coming together.”

The issues aren’t unique to Plainfield or Avon.

“It takes more than just us to impact their life,” Allen said. “Even if a teen isn’t in AYAP, they still need an adult who cares and takes time to talk to them and invest in them. Maybe this program isn’t in their school yet and maybe they aren’t at risk, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need support from the adults in their life.”

In order to help the youths in the community, Hovermale said it’s going to take a village.

“We’re finishing up our website and we have an advisory board at Avon,” she said. “Their job is to raise funds to support the programs, and we’ll be looking for donations, sponsorships, and partnerships with other businesses and organizations.”

Visit plainfieldyouthassistance.org/avon to learn more about the program, volunteer, or sign up to donate items on their current wish list.