You Can Be An Asset Builder

Whether you're a parent, a teenager, a neighbor, a grandparent, a teacher, a community or religious leader, or just an adult who wants to help kids, you can begin building assets today. Asset building means investing wisely in our youth, increasing their exposure to positive, constructive activities, and instilling values and skills that will guide them from the inside.  You have the power to change the lives of young people.  By making a personal commitment to spend time with them, guide, support, and care for them you can help them grow up healthy, caring and responsible.

Here are some things to keep in mind as you begin (and continue) to build assets:
 

1.    Everyone can build assets.  All adults, youth, and children can play a role.  Building assets requires consistent messages across a community.

2.    All young people need assets.  While it's crucial to pay special attention to those youth who have the  least (economically or emotionally), all young people can benefit from having more assets.

3.    Relationships are critical.  Strong relationships between adults and young people, young people and their peers, and teenagers and children are central to asset building.

4.    Asset building is an ongoing process.  It starts when a child is born and continues through high school and beyond.

5.    Consistent messages are important.  Young people need to receive consistent messages from their families, schools, communities, the media, and other sources about what's important and what's expected.

6.    Intentional redundancy is important.  Assets must be continually reinforced across the years and in all areas of a young person's life.
 

For more information contact: Salina Area United Way, 827-1312 or email us at at unitedway@salhelp.org