It’s been a rough year for everyone in the Ohio Valley with the COVID-19 pandemic pretty much bringing things to a halt.
For young moms in the Ohio Valley who may struggle to provide basic needs for their children, there’s an organization called YoungLives that has stepped forward to provide basic household essentials for these young moms.
Leah Mick, who, along with her husband, Adam (pastor at Covenant Community Church in Wheeling), moved from Arizona to Wheeling back in 2011 to help take care of her mom, serves as the YoungLives coordinator in the Ohio Valley. We sat down Saturday to talk about what exactly YoungLives is, how she became involved with it, how it came about, and what all it does.
“YoungLives’ mission is to build relationships with teen moms 21-and-under so we can grow emotionally, spiritually, and mentally stronger together,” Mick said. “We have the privilege of encouraging young moms to have confidence in themselves, build new skills and embrace the reality that God loves them and their child and has a plan for their lives.
“I first heard about YoungLives back when I was a young mom,” Mick continued. “It made sense to me because my mom was a teen mom. I helped out a few times with childcare back in Arizona with YoungLives, when I came to Wheeling and heard how Young Life has been here for almost 50 years, I started asking why YoungLives wasn’t here.
“I didn’t want to be the one to start it; I really just wanted to help out because I was meeting teen moms here,” she added. “In 2013 we partnered with the Crittenton Group Home and started YoungLives. We just started going to the high school and building relationships to find other teen moms 21-and younger.”
Mick indicated the pandemic put a damper on what the organization would normally do during the year.
“In the past, we meet every Thursday, and mentors build relationships with the moms through the week,” she said. “Right now, we have something virtual every Thursday night like club, classes, and just time for moms to hang out so we can build community and friendships.”
One of the things YoungLives does for the young moms is something called a LyfePact, which packs basic necessities and delivers them to the teen moms.
“The LyfePact actually started in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut areas,” Mick advised. “Due to the pandemic, teen moms were having a hard time finding basic essentials like diapers on store shelves. They were also struggling both financially and being more isolated than ever.
“YoungLives mentors started buying supplies where they could and asking for donations so they could mail them to teen moms who desperately needed them,” she continued. “This not only met crucial tangible needs, but it also allowed the mentors to meet new teen moms they wouldn’t have met otherwise.”
According to Mick, the LyfePacts are more than just essentials.
“Yes, they include the necessities like diapers, formula, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, non-perishable food, and an early learning kit,” she said. “But it doesn’t stop there.
“We studied 1.9 million digital conversations, and the moms overwhelmingly say they feel a deep, psychological impact and sense of hopelessness due to the current hardships, unrest and economic turmoil,” she said. “The LyfePact goes beyond delivering the basic household essentials and vital technology options. Every LyfePact we deliver is more than a box; it comes with a promise.
A volunteer helps load items into the back of a truck 
Pictured are some of the items collected
“Powered by Ohio Valley YoungLives, we make a pact to connect each teen mom with a volunteer mentor who will be serving as the backbone of our delivery and community-based follow-up process.”
Mick said there are a couple different ways to reach YoungLives.
“We can be reached through our Facebook page: Ohio Valley YoungLives, or they can call or text me at 304-312-1013.”
Mick indicated the pandemic changed how YoungLives does things to help the moms.
“Even though we had to change some things, we never stopped meeting with the girls virtually and delivering to their door,” she said. “What we didn’t know was how to meet new teen moms even though we knew they were out there, so when we heard about LyfePact, we had hope.
“In October of last year, we packed four boxes as a test run, and then in the following months, we sent out an online survey on Facebook and to school and community resources we knew,” she continued. “So far, we have met 20 moms with 10 of them being from Marshall County.
“Because of LyfePact, we are starting a YoungLives chapter in Marshall County, which has been a dream of ours for a long time.”
Mick said the generosity of the Ohio Valley has been amazing.
“Once a month, our YoungLives team packs the boxes, and mentors deliver to young ladies’ houses,” she noted. “We have someone in charge of inventory, someone in charge of organizing which mom needs what and mentors, communicating with moms for their deliveries.
“Our YoungLives volunteer coordinator in Marshall County bought up all the wipes that were on sale with donations people gave her. We’ve had a whole pallet of supplies like boxes delivered.”
Mick said the YoungLives organization is getting positive feedback from the young moms.
“The young ladies we’re meeting are telling their mentors that the LyfePacts have really eased their stress,” she said. “One young lady said the LyfePact really helped with her stress over how to get cleaning supplies, and it makes you so happy and uplifted when you get stuff you really need.”
Mick indicated the best part is hearing how lives have changed through YoungLives and the LyfePacts.
“A young mom was telling me how important we are to her,” she said. “She said she couldn’t understand why anyone would like her or love her the way the mentors and YoungLives team do.
“I know I speak for our YoungLives team when I say it’s such a privilege to know her, watch her grow, have hope, and be her friend,” she added.
Mick said it’s a blessing to the YoungLives team to help these young moms.
“We feel so privileged to be meeting and building relationships with young moms who are working so hard to be such great mothers and women,” she said. “We can’t wait until we can meet together in person, but until that day, we will take every porch delivery, every Zoom call, and every message we can to build relationships and encourage these strong, young women. As we like to say, ‘We are better together.’”
