Help teenagers in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse

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Breaking The Cycle is the first program of its type in the country which uses mountain bikes to work with teens in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse, with rides led by experienced mountain bikers that have their own long-term recovery. This is a YMCA program. The volunteer would not necessarily need to be a mountain biker or have experience in recovery. These are troubled teens who could be homeless, just getting out of juvenile detention, or under parole and working hard to make a fresh start. This is a unique opportunity to help expand the scope of our ground-breaking program in central Connecticut to also include helping these teens to get paid part-time jobs, or apprenticeships to help them get on their feet, learn responsibility, and get solid job experience. Examples of socially-responsible opportunities for the teens could include getting a paid job with Habitat for Humanity building houses, or an apprenticeship at a local bike shop learning how to work on bikes to establish solid work experience. The right volunteer would be able to commit a few hours a week to this project establishing contacts and identifying opportunities for the teens, and doing whatever they can to help the teens land that job or apprenticeship, as well as coaching and follow-up to ensure they have the tools and ability to keep the job. The volunteer must have some flexibility in their schedule to be able to make phone calls, etc. during the normal workday. The ability to establish a rapport with these teens will be important. The Breaking The Cycle team is a tight group of committed and passionate individuals who are dedicated to helping these teens, and are looking for someone to join their team who can share those same qualities. www.BreakingTheCycleMTB.org