PURPOSE: Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Marines, plus Concerned Civilians (Citizen Troops) mentoring youth on a healthy and productive life style.

FOCUS: Mentoring youth to lead healthy and productive life style starting with physical fitness.

THEME: A FIT BODY + A FIT MIND + A FIT LIFE = A FIT AMERICA

• A FIT BODY — Focuses on reducing obesity in youth and teaching them a physical fitness regimen and a healthy lifestyle
  
  
• A FIT MIND — Focuses on education in reducing the high school dropout rates. Having a fit mind starts with having an education
  
  
• A FIT LIFE — Focuses on reducing the number of youth that get into trouble and end up in the criminal system with a focus on at-risk youth to create positive alternatives to the streets. Focuses on empowering youth to be financially responsible.
  
  
• Youth Matter, Inc. believes that these 3 focus area will help to create a FIT AMERICA, through a partnership with members of our Armed Forces and Concerned Civilians (Citizen Troops) and corporate sponsors.

MISSIONS:

• Sports Balls for Activity: Troops collecting and donating sports balls to youth sports teams and children in disadvantaged communities.
• Health and Fitness Education: Troops provide health and fitness education to include nutrition training, health eating, and fitness for life instruction.
• Fitness Programs: Troops providing physical fitness in underserved communities with a focus on children and family activities.
• Tutoring and Education: Troops providing tutoring services to help reduce the high school dropout rates.
• Financial Literacy: Troops providing education about finances, credit, debt management, and entrepreneurship - key to helping them make financially responsible decisions in life.
• Mentoring: Troops offering One on One support of TROOPS TO YOUTH® in the area of fitness, education, and life skills.

As stated in an article published by MissionReadiness.org, startling statistics released by the Pentagon show that 75 percent of young people ages 17 to 24 would be unable to enlist in the United States military if they visited a recruiter today. Three of the most common barriers for potential recruits are failure to graduate high school, a criminal record, and physical fitness issues, including obesity.

There appears to be a direct correlation between high school students’ scores on financial literacy exams and the number of bankruptcies in the states where they live. Less than 10% of high school graduates receive any financial education in school. Approximately 75% of Americans live financially month to month. Teens are obtaining credit cards earlier, and 6% of students have taken out student loans. Outstanding student loans total over $1 trillion. Financial education has become essential for youth today, because they have the ability to enter into severe debt.

As a result of learning about these critical issues in October 2009, and wanting to help our youth, Youth Matter Inc. created its TROOPS TO YOUTH® initiative.

As with our parent organization, Youth Matter, Inc., TROOPS TO YOUTH®'s focus is on guiding America’s youth to lead healthy and productive lifestyles. Childhood obesity is becoming more of a crisis in the United States, as it is creating a direct impact on the nation’s defense.

Review MissionReadiness.org's article titled "Too Fat to Fight." to better understand the situation at hand. Youth Matter, Inc's TROOPS TO YOUTH®'s goal is to make a positive difference by being a champion to help create a FIT AMERICA.

TOGETHER, WE CAN DO THIS!

SPONSORS TO DATE:

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