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Nonprofit Organization Offers Youth an Alternative to Gangs and Street...

Michael T. Smith, founder and director of Temple Guard of York and Lancaster, is receiving a lot of attention for his laudable work with children in the York and Lancaster area. Smith created the Temple Guard of York and Lancaster in 1999 as an outreach program of his ministry in York - Temple of Grace Ministries. It began as a small group of young boys who needed a safe alternative to the violent gang lifestyle.

Today, Temple Guard of York and Lancaster is a thriving nonprofit organization with 300 boys and girls participating in various programs. Although the organization has grown to be much larger, Smith still maintains a personal relationship with the children his programs serve, and even checks their school report cards individually.

Any one can join the Temple Guard of York and Lancaster, but they are expected to perform well - that means learning the drill. The drill team performs a variety of dance styles, all of the team members moving in perfect unison. "The drill is the draw of it," explains Smith. "But once I get them there I can mentor them on issues from abstinence, health - everything you can think of from relationships to you know, the importance of getting a good education."

The draw of the drill is working very well. The children that belong to the drill team practice often and do their best to make Mr. Mike, as he's affectionately called, proud. He plays an important role in their lives and serves as a point of stability that the children can rely on during difficult times.

The lives of the children in York and Lancaster Counties can be very challenging; Smith's own brother was the victim of violence, as well as some of the children that have been in the guard.

As difficult as their lives can be, Smith and the Temple Guard offer an alternative to the violence and a stable support system.

For additional information on the news that is the subject of this release, contact Michael T. Smith.

About Temple Guard of York and Lancaster

Michael T. Smith founded Temple Guard of York and Lancaster in 1999. The Temple Guard is a nonprofit organization that utilizes dance drills as a means of providing youth with an alternative to a violent gang lifestyle.

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