Spirituality

D o i

Their Part

Detroit crisis center gets a boost from Birmingham Temple teens.

SHARON LUCKERMAN
Staff Writer

T

he weekly meetings of the
Birmingham Temple youth
group usually center on
Jewish philosophical and
teen issues. But this September, the
group decided to do something differ-
ent.
"We wanted to help people in our
community and not just those in New
York City," said Deborah Rose, 16, of
Southfield, one of 10 members of the
Humanistic temple's youth group.
The teens were impressed by the
work done in Detroit by Alternatives
For Girls (AFG), a crisis shelter serv-
ing homeless and high-risk girls and
young women, ages 16 20.
In May, the program's executive
director, Amanda Good of Detroit, a
temple member, won Oprah Winfrey's
Angel Use-Your-Life Award, which
included $100,000 for the shelter.
AFG started when families in south-
west Detroit realized that girls in their
late teens who left home or got kicked
out were too young to be admitted to
an adult shelter, but too old for foster
care. Instead, they fell through the

-

cracks in the social service system.
Most of the young women come to
AFG in crisis, having been "abused
physically, emotionally or both," Good
said.
The organization provides them
with a place to live and helps in the
transition to independent living.
Several Birmingham Temple Mem-
bers volunteer at AFG, and the temple
has organized a clothing drive for the
shelter. The youth group, guided by
Rabbis Tamara Kolton, Sherwin Wine
and Adam Chalom, decided to put
together and donate packages of toi-
letries for AFG residents.
"We had lots of discussions while
shopping, like what does one need
when you're less fortunate," said Jared
Fisher, 13, of West Bloomfield, one of
the two young men in the group. "We
tried to get things other people didn't
donate, like hygienic products —
toothpaste, soap, hair conditioner and
underwear."
On Nov. 8, Rabbi Kolton loaded up
her van with bags of donations, along
with the clothes the synagogue had
collected. The packages will be given
to young women as they enter the
shelter.

A Wider Focus

In addition to the shelter, AFG pro-
grams range from street outreach to a
prevention program that helps girls
ages 5-18 stay in school, avoid early
pregnancy, handle family crises and
deal with substance abuse, Good said.
The organization is breaking ground
for a new facility that will increase the
shelter's space from 12 to 45 beds. For
the first time, it will include beds for
mothers and their children.
If AFG reaches its campaign goal of
$5.4 million by Dec. 31, it will receive
a $600,000 challenge grant from the
Kresge Foundation.
"We have $4.3 million, so the pres-
sure is on," Good said.
"This [experience] puts things into
perspective," said temple teen Catie
Luria, 16, of Bloomfield Hills.
"Alternative For Girls is a natural fit
for our temple," Rabbi Kolton added.
"It's a humanistic agency and its pri-
mary mission is to encourage the dig-
nity of the individual."
For more information on AFG, call
(313) 964-5450. ❑

Preparing packages are, top, Jared
Fisher, 13, of West Bloomfield and,
right, Annie Magid-Beale, 15, of
Bloomfield Hills and Lindsay Smith,
15, of West Bloomfield; all Birmingham
Temple youth group members.

11/30
2001

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