WRAP’s new youth program has taken off.

At our Redwood WRAP office, we recently held a Parking Lot Party and Open House to get the word out about our youth program. We had Scotty Biggs BBQ food truck, Steph’s Gringa Tacos, Rise Nutrition, Maui Wowi, and MK’s Homemade Treats for food and drinks. There were games and activities for kids such as a bounce house, bowling, face painting, and music. We had multiple local businesses donate raffle prizes for kids and adults. The prizes ranged from gift cards, toys, fishing tackle, fair tickets, and pool passes, to everything you need to redo a room, oil changes, eyelash lift and tint, and concert tickets.

We also had the support of local law enforcement, the fire department, and EMS who talked to kids and gave them tours of their equipment. WRAP is very grateful for all who helped put this event on and made it the great success that it was. We believe as a come-and-go event, that over 300 people attended. We could not have asked for a better outcome.

Since 2020, WRAP has been designated by Safe Harbor to provide victim services to youth who have been trafficked or exploited. WRAP has obtained new funding through OJP for the youth program in March 2024. The new funding allowed for a massive expansion of WRAP’s program.

We now have broader opportunities to teach the Not a Number curriculum created by Love146. Not a Number is a 5-day curriculum, that teaches students about human trafficking, exploitation, and interpersonal crime prevention. We are now also able to present Safe and Strong, which is a youth body-safe curriculum for elementary-age kids. We have been making a big impact already on our youth in the communities by sharing this curriculum in seven schools within our four-county service area this past school year. WRAP is excited to be able to provide this prevention work to our communities and continue to expand the number of youth we have reached.

WRAP hopes to continue the growth of the program in upcoming years to make sure that all youth are reached. We hope to be able to provide skills, mentorship, prevention, advocacy, and so much more to the young people in the community, As a community we can make a difference and we need your help, not only to teach our skills but to encourage youth to come and participate! WRAP’s first skills group will be a game day on August 8th at 11 am in the Redwood Falls WRAP office. We will provide lunch and learn social skills while having fun. Youth ages 9 to 16 are encouraged to come participate.

The WRAP team has recently created a new program called Leaders & Legends. In this program, youth advocates assist participants in multiple different ways. Leaders and Legends collaborates with professionals in the community such as probation agents, Health and Human Services, and public schooling staff to get more insight into what our youth needs. The goals are to create a list of unmet needs and plan on how to fulfill those essentials to build a strong foundation for them as they grow. With the communities’ assistance, we will be able to have volunteers come in and teach some basic living skills. Some of the skills will include day-to-day activities such as doing laundry, cooking, cleaning your home, and keeping track of expenses. Additional learning activities will also include skills such as being able to check your oil or learn how to fill out a job or college application. These are all skills that youth do not always have access to. The goal of the Leaders & Legends program is to make these fundamental skills readily available to all participants. There will be group and individual classes available. WRAP is also providing mentorship to youth who would like to make a difference in their communities. Participants will identify a need in their community and work to solve or make a difference. This is a limited but paid opportunity. Youth are encouraged to reach out to our advocates to discuss a potential project. If you are interested in assisting or volunteering for our Leaders and Legends Program, please reach out to the youth advocate, Mikayla at Mikayla@letswrap.com.

If you or someone you could use assistance, please reach out to WRAP at 507-532-9532 or call the 24-hour crisis line at 1-800-639-2350. You can find more information on our website at www.letswrap.com.

— Becci tenBensel is executive director of Womens Rural Advocacy Programs