Youth For Christ will celebrate its 50th anniversary in the community with fundraising banquets Nov. 11 and 12.

The banquets, at Wedgewood Cove, will be at noon on Nov. 11 and at 7:15 p.m. Nov. 12.

To reserve tickets, call 373-1015 or e-mail robin@scmyfc.org.

According to a Youth For Christ news release, 600 children in the community have a safe, supervised and fun place to go at Youth For Christ’s The Rock during a time when the generation is up against a lot of odds.

The release states each day in America, five teens commit suicide, 2,260 high school students drop out of school, 4,300 children are arrested, 42 percent of 12th graders have tried marijuana and 75 percent of high schoolers have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of their senior year.

Greg and Robin Gudal, along with the staff at the facility, aim to treat these children like family. Sometimes this is the first exposure these kids have with Jesus Christ as well.

The Rock also aims to be a non-threatening and non-judgmental environment where young people can go to receive answers.

The facility staff listen, love, share, help with homework, tutor, serve more than 1,700 free meals at noon throughout the summer and a free snack in the afternoons, and encourage a peer mentoring program.

The Rock also works with youth who need to complete Sentenced to Serve hours and who want to help clean graffiti and ditches.

According to the news release, the mission of Youth for Christ is to reach young people everywhere, working with local churches and other like-minded partners.