Back to School Means After School

The after-school hours are the peak time for juvenile crime and risky behaviors such as alcohol and drug use, according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center. And many of the families that enroll their children in The Salvation Army’s After School Adventures program understand the value of after school programming.

The tragedy is that some working families are struggling to make ends meet and the additional cost for valuable after school care is simply too much. Even when The Salvation Army only charges $5 per week per child it’s still a hard decision to make.

And that’s where Ayrica Harvey, pictured above, makes a difference. As former teacher at The Salvation Army, Ayrica has recently been promoted up the ranks to After School Director. An IU student, she understands the value of a good education, and is daily transferring those values to children who receive encouragement and a solid Christian education. The effort she, her staff and volunteers put into their jobs makes the children enrolled at The Salvation Army more likely to avoid violence and go on to a bright future.