“Leadership is Developed Not Discovered...” ~ Minister Dennis Rhodes, Executive Director of ITHM Local Youth Leadership Program Empowers Young People to Develop their "Voice". I Trust Him Ministries (ITHM) was established in 2003 as a faith-based outreach organization serving underrepresented, underserved, at risk youths between the ages of 10-18 in Sacramento, CA. Our mission is to mobilize the collective power of the community around core values to inspire, empower and enrich the lives of youth and to ensure that our young people are viewed as resources by helping them successfully navigate from adolescence to adulthood. Our focus is capacity building that emphasizes faith, community outreach, relationship building among youth and adult advocates and leadership training and development. We believe that by focusing on young people’s abilities, strengths and talents in conjunction with reconnecting them to caring people and resources in the larger community, we can create a brighter tomorrow for Sacramento’s youth. To this end, ITHM has developed an outreach model known as the Youth In View Leadership Development Program to effectively assist our young people in achieving their full potential by helping them develop their “VOICE” and “SELF WORTH” in order to prevent them from becoming involved in risky and destructive behavior such as academic failure, sexual promiscuity which leads to diseases such as HIV/AIDS, drugs and alcohol abuse, crime and violence which lead to youth incarceration.

The Youth In View Leadership & Development Program is designed to create a far reaching youth cultural voice rooted in human worth and service to others by equipping local youth to translate their potential into action. Youths that participate in our program will attempt to create innovative solutions to pressing issues such as academic achievement and graduation, civic participation through community service projects and youth employment in an attempt to deter destructive and unhealthy behavior. By using non-conventional youth led outreach strategies which include youth run community organizing and leadership training through art, dance, music, spoken word, media and recreational team building activities, we believe youth will help youths see the possibilities of their own potential and greatness. Stand Up and Be Heard is the theme of the 2008 YIV Leadership & Development Program. Our program will provide a FREE, monthly “Youth Leadership Day” that will inspire, encourage, empower and train young people to become active participants in resolving youth-related problems. The “Youth Leadership Days” will include a video taped leadership training focused around a selected youth topic which will emerge from small group discussions and will later be viewed on the local Access Sacramento cable station; information sharing between community members representing numerous industries such as: health, education, community, business, and media and law enforcement groups, lunch and end in a recreational activities and outings to keep our young people encouraged and on the right tract. We will measure the success of our program based on the attendance and academic performance of our student participants, their monthly community service involvement through our program and their employment rates.

In 2005, ITHM gained its 501 c3 non-profit status and began administering The Mustard Seed Youth Project (TMSYP) - an HIV/AIDS prevention program which has developed over 25 youth leaders that are involved in outreach throughout the city of Sacramento. TMSYP has established a youth led approach to HIV/AIDS prevention with an emphasis on outreach, peer to peer training; youth led discussion groups, music and performing arts presentations. During 2006, the leadership group reached more than 2,000 youths. Since our inception, ITHM and our programs have provided outreach services to more than 5,000 young people. Additionally, we have partnered with the Sacramento County Communicable Disease Division - “Sacramento Alliance to Prevent AIDS” to continue our HIV/AIDS education campaign. We are now broadening our community partnerships to build the Youth In View Leadership & Development Program and to empower young people to Stand Up and Be Heard.

“Any one can encourage and give appreciation to youths, but when youth are encouraged and appreciated by their peers, it provides a feeling of acceptance and approval that is vital to their success in life.” ~ Damani Rhodes, Youth Leader for the Youth in View Program To get involved and empower youth to help one another, make a donation, volunteer or register to participate in and upcoming "Youth Leadership Day" please call the office of I Trust Him Ministries in Sacramento, CA.