Board members, mentors meet PALS founder Rev. Wayne Clark
Leadership team members of the Clay County PALS, a local, grassroots mentorship program, gathered at Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer on Sunday, June 13 to greet Rev. Dr. M. Wayne Clark who travelled to the area to preach to his former congregation and share his new book “A Boy on the Farm”. Pictured left to right are: PALS adult mentor Bill Prentice, PALS Coordinator Susan Christensen, PALS founder Rev. M. Wayne Clark, and PALS board members and adult mentors Becky Prentice and Keith Bress. Clark is credited for successfully launching the Big Brother/Big Sister program in Spencer in 1976. The group was rebranded Clay County PALS in 1986 in order to operate independently from the national mentorship organization due to costs associated with running the program. PALS is designed to foster friendships between adult mentors and school-aged children through positive role modelling, serving children ages six to 16 from single-family homes in Clay County. Since its inception, PALS has been successful in serving hundreds of youngsters within the area, providing opportunities for participating adults and youth to develop healthy, lasting friendships in this year-around program. For more information about Clay County PALS, visit their website: www.claycountypals.com or contact PALS Coordinator Susan Christensen at 712.260.1595.