Volunteer in Profile: Kendall Rife

One poor decision after another led Kendall Rife down the wrong path.
 
At the age of 15, she started to date a gang member. She was involved in a grow operation break and enter with her boyfriend and was arrested.
 
Though she didn’t go to jail, probation was strict and difficult. After a semester of home supported leave, Kendall returned to school. Struggling with initiating and maintaining healthy, positive relationships with her peers, she became addicted to ecstasy, cocaine and MDA. She had fallen and overcoming it seemed impossible.
 
Then, finding support from her teachers, Kendall joined the Youth Council at her school, which is run by Youth Central’s Outreach program. She realized that she needed to change, and that life should be so much more than what she was experiencing.
 
In the past two years, the Youth Council motivated her to reach out to others and give back to the community. In addition to organizing several school events, Kendall helped to run a bake sale that raised over $1,300 to support Teen Angels and an all girl’s school in Africa.
 
“I changed my life around completely,” Kendall says. “I never had a great outlook on life. I never cared for anyone else, let alone myself. I went from a defiant, rebellious girl to a mature young woman who is capable of dealing with any situation.
 
“Now, I have a purpose, a reason to give back, and I realized that’s what I should do.”
 
Kendall is on track to graduate from high school this year. Although she is not sure what career path she wants to take, she knows that she wants to continue volunteering in the community and work with organizations like Youth Central in the future.
 
“When I volunteer, it doesn’t matter what’s going on in my life. It just feels right.”