After-School Program Gives Kids Hope for the Future

David doesn’t really fit in the classroom “box.” Shuffled between mom, aunt, sister, and grandma, he longs to spend more time with his dad. He wonders if the adults in his life have his best interest at heart. As a result, David doesn’t know how to trust anyone, especially an authority figure.

So it wasn’t unusual for Ashley Paavola, developer of Future Club, a program of All Nations Church in University City, Mo., to see David sitting in the hallway outside his classroom. “David, are you okay?” she asked.

“The teacher is mad at me for talking,” he said.

“David, you can do something,” Paavola said. “Remember what we talked about in Future Club? About adaptability? You remember what it means?”