Memorial Day Parade

On Monday May 27, 2013, the SAPPHIRE cheerleaders and the Youth Matter ambassadors will be in the 129th Annual Memorial Day parade! The parade starts at 11:00 in Portsmouth, Virginia. The parade will run along Crawford and High streets. For more information on the route, please call (757) 393-8639.Come join Youth Matter as we celebrate Memorial Day! Spread the word!

Ray the Buffalo

Everyone please check out the website for the children's story Ray the Buffalo! This website gives info on the author Wilheimina Long, the illustrator Ron Miller, and also gives background info on the meaning of the story and its characters! You may also purchase the book on the website also. Spread the word! 
http://www.raythebuffalo.com/

Annual Black and White Gala

Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for our Annual Black and White Gala. Bring a friend, a neighbor, or a co-worker. You won’t want to miss out. You may purchase tickets online by going to our website: http://youthmatter.org/ymi_gala.htm . There will be music, great food, wonderful talent, awesome auction items and specials guest(s), this will be a night to remember. Mark your calendars and join us for an evening of elegance and entertainment!

Circle of Love

If you are interested in volunteering to help, or have a daughter that would like to become a part of our Circle of Love mentoring program, feel free to reach out to Yvonne Carrington (director) on the COL Facebook page: Circle of Love (YMI). This mentoring is not only limited to your daughter; she can be your God daughter, a friends child, a neighbor or a young girl at your church. They discuss hygiene, school, attire, etc. at their monthly meetings. They do community service projects and arts and crafts. Circle of Love is a good program for younger girls to participate in.

SAPPHIRE Cheerleaders Summer Boot Camp

Be on the look-out for the dates of the Sapphire Cheerleaders Summer Boot Camp for all current Sapphires and new interested girls as well. It will be a good learning experience for the girls. The camp will consist of: learning cheer and dance routines, conditioning, leadership skills, articulation and enthusiasm, etc. You do not want your girls to miss out on this great opportunity!

PHAT Conference

On May 23, the SAPPHIRE cheerleaders participated in the PHAT (Promoting Healthy and Active Teens) Conference and Step Show held at Booker T. Washington High School. The girls opened the conference with their favorite cheers as the audience cheered them on. The girls got to see other step teams and cheerleaders perform, and they also visited various workshops to learn about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. For more information on the conference, please visit www.facebook.com/phatconference 

Sapphire Cheerleading Try-Outs

  Don't Forget!!! The SAPPHIRES cheerleaders will be having try-outs on next week; Monday, March 4th through Friday, March 8th. Try-outs will be held in the multi-purpose room at Lakeview Elementary School in Portsmouth, VA. Try-outs are from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the multi-purpose room on the side of the school. Girls ages 5-14 are encouraged to come out. There will be a registration fee of $10 for all current SAPPHIRES and $15 for all interested girls. For more information on the SAPPHIRES and our upcoming events, please check out our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/SapphiresCheer

March of Dimes

On April 28, Youth Matter, Inc. will be walking in the March of Dimes walk. One of our youth ambassadors, Hailey Benders was born four weeks early, and has participated in March of Dimes for the past seven years. We will be walking to support her and help raise money for the organization. Come out and support the cause with us! For more information on how to participate in the the March of Dimes walk, please visit: http://www.marchofdimes.com/virginia/

Relay for Life

On the evening of June 22, Youth Matter, Inc. will be volunteering and participating at the Relay for Life Campaign held by the American Cancer Society at TCC's Portsmouth Campus. Please come out and support a great cause with us!

Youth Matter Facebook

   Be sure to go check out the various pages that Youth Matter Inc. has on Facebook: Youth Matter Inc., Sapphire Cheerleaders (YMI), Just Dyvine Dance Crew (YMI), Troops to Youth (YMI), Circle of Love (YMI) and Little Miss, Mister and Teen Youth Matter. Listed below are the links to our pages.

www.facebook.com/youthmatter
www.facebook.com/sapphirescheer
www.facebook.com/JD.dancecrew
www.facebook.com/troopstoyouth
www.facebook.com/COL.circleoflove
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Miss-Mister-Teen-Youth-Matter

PROGRAM DIRECTOR NEEDED FOR BOYS' GENTLEMEN'S CLUB

 Youth Matter Inc. has a need for a Program Director for our Boy’s to Champs Gentlemen’s Club. The Gentlemen’s Club is a mentoring program for young men that we’re trying to begin and a strong, influential and ambitious man to guide these young men are needed. If you’re interested in becoming a program director or just a volunteer, please feel free to reach out to us so that we may speak and meet with you.
For more information on our Boys' Gentlemen's Club, please call the Youth Matter, Inc. office (757) 652-7697, or visit our facebook page: http://youthmatter.org/ymi_b2cGentlemenClub.htm

Volunteer Interests

-          If there are currently any interested persons willing and ready to volunteer with Youth Matter Inc. as a whole, the Sapphire Cheerleaders or Circle of Love (girls mentoring program), please feel free to contact us. Our contact information is on the website for you to reach out to us.

Black and White Gala Ticket Sales

   Tickets are now on sale for Youth Matter’s annual Black and White Gala. Youth tickets are $40, adults tickets are $50 and a table of 10 is $450. If you’d like to begin making your purchases now, you may do so by going to the press release area on the website and you’ll find updated information on the 2013 Gala and the link to purchase your ticket(s) . So that you don’t overwhelm yourself with one big purchase, you can make a purchase this month, another next month, and so on. In the case of tickets selling fast, you may want to check the website every now and then to make sure tickets aren't sold out. Be sure to spread the word to family members, co-workers, friends and etc., because you won’t want to miss out on a spectacular event. For more information on YMI's annual gala, visit  http://youthmatter.org/ymi_gala.htm.

To purchase tickets, visit: http://2013blackwhitegala.eventbrite.com. 

Happy Holidays

Youth Matter, Inc. would like to wish everyone happy holidays. Be sure to be safe, and spend time with your loved ones. Be on the lookout for more appearances from the Youth Matter ambassadors, the Sapphire cheerleaders, and more YMI programs. Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Enjoy your holidays!

Flower Pens

 On November 24, two Youth Matter Inc. ambassadors and two Sapphire cheerleaders visited Sentara Nursing Home in Portsmouth, Va. The YMI volunteers and the residents created beautiful flower pens. The room was full of smiling faces as everyone added their own personal touch on their flower pens.

Suffolk Christmas Parade

-          On Saturday December 8^th, the Sapphire cheerleaders took to the streets of Suffolk, VA, for Suffolk’s annual holiday parade. This year’s theme was “Holiday in Toyland”. There were many floats decorated with persons dressed as gifts, Mr. CIAA himself were located behind the cheerleaders, and even some of the local bands were dressed in costume as toys. Our Sapphires made us proud as usual, and stole the crowd. The streets were packed and the people embraced them. It wasn’t as cold as we suspected, but the girls were dressed in full uniform and warm up suits; we even accessorized them with glow bracelets and holiday headbands. 

NSU's Fantastic Voyage

The Sapphire cheerleaders once again showed up and showed out. They won over the crowd with their smiles, their energy and how loud they were. Norfolk State University’s Homecoming parade was another successful event for our girls. Even in the cold weather, the girls didn’t complain and did what they had to do. The judges loved them just as the spectators along-side the parade route did. 

Home by the Sea

On this past Saturday, the Sapphire cheerleaders showed up in great number for Hampton University’s Homecoming Parade. The girls were so professional in the cool temperatures and strong winds. They made their presence known. The girls even got a chance to take pictures with Mr. Pirate himself. 

Manicure Time

-          On Saturday, October 20, 2012, three Youth Matter ambassadors, along with two Sapphire cheerleaders, took part in some volunteer action. They did about 10 manicures of the elderly women in the Sentara Nursing Center in Portsmouth. The women were so friendly and excited, and the girls enjoyed it. It always feels good to give back or to do a good deed. The women spoke of the fact that not too many visitors come, so the ambassadors are thinking about making a monthly trip to go visit with activities.

Pheobus Day's

This past Saturday, October 13, 2012, our Sapphire cheerleaders participated in the annual Phoebus Days parade. The Phoebus Days parade is hosted in Hampton (VA), and our girls were so coordinated and prepared. This parade showed how much potential they have and how much they have grown.

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