Lifeline Youth Ministries expands vocational training with Thor RV Learning Lab
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Elkhart-based Thor Industries, in partnership with Lifeline Youth Ministries, recently launched its RV Learning Lab to teach kids about different aspects of the recreational vehicle industry.
Lifeline says its success building new homes and remodeling old houses on State Street served as the impetus for the partnership with the RV maker.
“This is the RV capital of the world, so it made sense,” Darrell Peterson, executive director at Lifeline Youth Ministries, said. “Thor Industries not only liked what they saw from our construction company, they liked the idea of vocational training.”
The company sends instructors daily to work the students through different technical skills including plumbing, electrical, cabinetry, and also sharing safety best practices for using hand or pneumatic tools. Peterson said students get a certificate that puts them ahead of the hiring line upon completion of the program. Students from around the county attend lessons at the facility.
Launched over 60 years ago, the ministry has been a staple in the community, providing kids in the south side of Elkhart with access to vocational training, mentorship, athletics and spiritual guidance. A fire at their State Street location 12 years ago caused the organization to pivot and create individual programs in five different schools in south Elkhart. Now, they only have programs in their building.
“Case in point, if we were doing art at five different locations, more than likely we don’t have five great art people; we don’t have five great athletic people,” Peterson said. “This gives us the ability for everybody to be together and we can put people in what they do best.”
Citing the Hardwired to Connect joint study from the YMCA, Dartmouth Medical School, and the Institute for American Values, Peterson said kids need two things to succeed: family and spiritual influence. Lifeline becomes family for many of the kids that attend, who also receive religious instruction.
The ministry has had a positive impact on the lives of many children in the area. Peterson fondly recalled one of their students who had been kicked out of school twice before enrolling in the ministry’s construction program. The young man eventually graduated as student of the year at his school and had three companies interested in hiring him.
“I recently asked some students to tell me what they had learned in the program. I thought they would say, ‘I learned how to install a toilet, I learned how to lay flooring, learned how to frame,’” he said. “Instead, they said, ‘I learned how to communicate, I learned how to work as a team. I learned how to problem-solve. I learned common sense. I learned about God.’”
Lifeline also works with a juvenile detention center in the area, and the ministry plans to start two diversion programs that would see juveniles attend the ministry instead of the detention center.
“The goal of the program is to teach them something over a period of like six weeks and acclimate them into our regular programming afterwards,” he added.
Data from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention shows that most violent crimes committed by youth occur between 3pm and 7pm on school days. Lifeline offers programs from 2pm – 6pm.
Several businesses run by staff and students help fund Lifeline’s activities. The ministry currently provides construction services, silk screening, embroidery and engraving services to businesses and other not-for-profits. Plans are also underway to create music and video studios as well as a graphic design business.
“There’s lots of nonprofits who put stuff out that isn’t very good, we were one of them,” Peterson said. “So if we can help other nonprofits or small businesses and make a business out of it, then that’s what we want.”
Lifeline also receives donations from individuals and organizations. Peterson applauds the foresight of a donor who gave $2 million towards the construction of the new building on Prairie Street, saying the charter school that uses the building, Premier Academy, would not have been able to, otherwise.
For Peterson, Lifeline’s unique proposition is its businesses. Instead of simply receiving a donation, he believes getting a potential donor’s business is more rewarding.
“We still need to raise funds,” he said “But the nice thing is, if you’re using our embroider, our silkscreen, our sound studio, the graphic design, then you know that your money is going to support an awesome ministry and to make a difference in kids’ lives.”
The ministry also received the Prairie Street land as a gift. A further study of the area’s demographic revealed it was the perfect place to build what is now known as “The Hub.” There are over 2,000 apartments and 3,500 homes within a 1.5 mile radius of the building, home to more than 6,000 school-aged children.
Opened in August 2023, The Hub serves as a boiling point for the community. Several organizations meet in the building and it is used for 12-16 hours each day.
“This is just a great community,” Peterson said. “You’d be hard pressed to find a community like Elkhart County, even the not-for-profits help each other.”
Lifeline provides after-school programming for kids in grades one through 12. There’s a gaming room and two exclusive lounges for middle school and high school girls respectively designed for hanging out and building relationships, and a 1,300-square-foot music room. They currently serve 400 kids, with hundreds on the waiting list.
“The economic impact is huge,” Peterson noted. “From keeping kids out of trouble, giving them something positive to do, putting them with positive people, job preparedness, spiritual influence, all of those things pay big dividends.”
With rooms for adult education classes, ESL classes, financial peace classes, visitors in certain areas of the building are prevented from getting access to the school area without a badge.
Lifeline is more than just an after-school program; it is a vocational program, a diversion program helping with juvenile detention and a training facility for Elkhart’s not-for-profit ecosystem.
“We’ve had colleges send their students here for a year to get practical training,” Peterson said. “Bashor Children’s Home, Elkhart Community Schools, Concord Community Schools all have former interns. If we can help not-for-profits with employees, then that’s a big win.”
The organization focuses on building long-term relationships with its kids and staff. The executive director and his assistant have been with the ministry for 15 and eight years, respectively. Kids often enroll in first grade and stay all through high school.
“When we’ve interviewed kids and parents, they talk about being loved and safe, and building long-term relationships,” Peterson said. “Dr. James Comer said, ‘No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship,’ and we agree.”
Peterson tells the story of the lengths a staff member went to ensure a high school girl was not displaced.
With longevity in mind, Peterson has found a successor in David Gaona, his assistant executive director. A young woman would also be starting as vice president of operations in August after various volunteer roles. Despite the pay cut, these young folks believe in Lifeline’s mission.
“Our staff is in their 20s and 30s, so we’ll be set for another 30 years,” Peterson added. “They come through summer internships, or people just hearing about us and saying, ‘That’s what I want to be.’”