Children and Youth

Calling on all mini-heroes from the universe to help protect and serve the home front, while our heroes are out battling bigger villains and criminals. We need to improvise, adapt and overcome!

Let me introduce myself, I’m Sue Johnson, kid name Gwen Stacey, alias Ghost-Spider. I’m one of the coolest Heroes in the State of Illinois, for children. I love animals, active duty military, and Veterans. I’m one of their biggest advocates. I love drumming and many other activities and crafts. As a team member of, “Team Spidey”, my responsibilities are to prioritize the lives of children, reaching out to help and save them. Like my teammates, my powers include speed, strength, and wall crawling. One of my special powers is spider-sense. “Spider sense: is a special sense that acts as a warning that danger is close by or coming.” This makes me a great detective. I’m able to glide like a flying squirrel and pretty good at being sneaky. That is enough about me; on to my action plan.

Good evening Madame president, board, and fellow members of the heroes’ team. Please, I strongly feel that I cannot stress enough how important it is that you give this purple folder to your children and youth chair.

The first part is the programs being held in the National Hall of Justice, they are the same and I have placed them in your hands. Get Involved was included.

The second is the programs at the Illinois Lair. We have 4”.

Christmas gifting for children in group homes and assisted living. Form 2 has been changed slightly to you will send all the paper work to Dept. at the end January 8th 2024. Form 3 only has to be given if the facilitator has changed at the homes.

The next programs are Special Olympics please save the dates: Winter February 6-8, 2024, Summer June 7-9,2024 and State Tennis August 19, 2023 and August 17th, 2024. We definitely need your help with manpower at the events, donation of food, product, and money donations. More info will be available at a later time.

Children Welfare foundations. Don’t forget to donate, just in case we have a child and their family who might need assistance. “Not all American children grow up inside the comfortable definition of normal childhood development. They challenge pain, prayer, and perseverance. In fact many of these children require specialized care to overcome their obstacles.” Donations support grants, research, studies, surveys, projects, or supporting programs and activities to benefit the welfare of children and youth.

Children and youth scholarship for a college student pursuing a degree in teaching Special Education. Forms will be coming out.

I would really like us this year to look for 1 family (or more depending on your funds) to help them through the year where we adopt that family/ies , with school needs, clothes, tutoring, doing fun things, providing food or meals, getting the children involved and letting them give input to community service or events. Helping them with holiday activities so they can be apart of other children.

Fun event suggestions: Host a Photo shoot with their super hero capes and costumes let them make backdrop, props, and be the photographer. Send them to your service members deployed. Be a duel Guest Speaker have a service member or military spouse be a guest speaker along with their child in a classroom or an event at your post or community. Share the experience and open the floor for discussion about military life for both the parent and child. Host a board game night , movie night, cooking lessons, carnival, sports event. Do something with families from the same platoon or unit so when deployments come up they can learn and grow together. Continue to host Easter egg hunts, Christmas parties, parades etc, the skies the limit.

Continue purchasing children military books to put in the school libraries or the public

When you send care packages for the deployed service members don’t forget to send them off to the mini super heroes too. It makes them feel important too.

Make them into mini super heroes that they admire.

When the children and youth Hero from the hall of justice gives her ideas and intents. I will be happy to share and send out in the sonic newsletter so be looking out for that message.

Awards the Tabs for Tots Programs can be taken to a recycling place for cash. Since the pandemic not all the non for profit charities like Ronald McDonald can except the tabs, but still need the donation. Other places that cannot take the tabs themselves but yes the funds are Polytrauma units to take disabled Veterans on field trips away from the hospitals Comfort Warriors, Children Miracle Works, American Legion Veterans and Children Foundation Please keep a log on where you donate and the money contributed. Pictures are a big way to show our involvement.

Numbers for children events have been down both for the Legion and Auxiliary, so work together and have each other come into each other meetings to help build each others programs back up. They are the way of the future.

In conclusion, “ Each of us is a superhero in our own unique way. So, practice your super powers each and every day!” With great power comes great responsibility. Until next time, from your friendly neighborhood Ghost Spider.

Rebecca “Sue” Johnson  |  americandancer13@gmail.com | 815-222-3983

Resources from National

  • Youth Hero/Good Deed Award
  • Military Child’s Table Setting Ceremony
  • Youth Hero Award News Release Template
  • Log into the National Website to Access these Items: Click Here

Department Resources

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