Youth Crisis Center Releases Wish List

By Melinda Barney

Youth Crisis Centers in Washington and Iron Counties are hoping Santa Claus will find teens housed in their facilities, again this year.

"We have always been overwhelmed at the generosity of people in Southwestern Utah during the holiday season," notes Melinda Barney, Senior Counselor at the Washington County site. "We are pleased there are people who have expressed a desire to help again this year." In an effort to provide Christmas for an unknown number of young people, ages 12-18, Barney and her co-workers at both facilities have developed a wish list for Santa's elves.

The Youth Crisis Center Wish List includes hygiene kits (call for a list of suggested items), art supplies (tiles, beads, jute, memory wire, general art supplies), books and games (Harry Potter, John Grisham novels, classics, cards, koosh balls and games, hackysacks, jump ropes, Nerf balls), gift certificates from Hurst, Wal-mart, K-Mart, or from pizza restaurants, movie theaters or video rentals, balls of any sort, ping pong table, VCR, quilts or afghans, white sox, sweats, girls underwear, boys white briefs (all sizes), hair scrunchies, and other teenage fun stuff.

A suggested list of videos which will be appreciated by teens includes travel, biographies, character building topics; and titles such as "Big" with Tom Hanks, "The Christmas Story," "Roxanne" starring Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah, Denzel Washington's "Remember the Titans," the animated feature film "The Emperor's New Groove," "Princess Bride," "ET" and other age appropriate, non-violent films.

A copy of the Youth Crisis Center Wish List is available by calling the Volunteer Center of Washington County, 10 North 100 East in St. George at 674-5757. Or call Melinda Barney at the Youth Crisis Center of Washington County at 656-6100. The Iron County Youth Center can be reached at 867-2500