At Catholic Charities Night at the Sixers Game on Friday, Ashley McElveen-Clark was honored for her dedication to youth development. Ashley is the Assistant Director for the Catholic Social Services Out-of-School-Time Program at the DePaul School in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Ever since she joined CSS, youth have been flocking to the program because of Ashley’s ability to develop a full range of activities that empower youth to become leaders in their community and gain pride through competition. Ashley sees her profession as more than a job; for her it is truly a calling in life. She is a role model for middle school youth who often benefit from having “Miss Ashley” as their program leader. James Amato, Deputy Secretary for Catholic Social Services, commented: “Ashley’s devotion to the youth with whom she works is a rare quality to find, and it makes her an integral part of our organization.”For the past four years, Ashley McElveen-Clark has been the Assistant Director for the Catholic Social Services Out-of-School-Time Program at the DePaul School, which provides afterschool and summer programming for sixty at-risk middle school youth in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Ever since she joined CSS, youth have been flocking to the program because of Ashley’s ability to develop a full range of activities that empower youth to become leaders in their community and gain pride through competition. Every spring, Ashley leads the youth in her program in developing a service project that raises money to fund the students on a summer trip. Students compile a budget and design a unique money-making strategy each year. Throughout the school year, Ashley leads over 30 girls ages 9 through 14 in a dance squad that practices weekly and performs throughout the year. Recently, the squad has been practicing on weekends in preparation for their first citywide competition this spring. Through Dance Squad, girls experience the value of hard work and persistence, while gaining pride through their accomplishments. Ashley has been instrumental in planning and running monthly social events like movie nights, game nights, and mall trips, which give middle school kids a safe place to socialize under the supervision of caring adults. Ashley sees her profession as more than a job; for her it is truly a calling in life. She is a role model for middle school youth who often benefit from having “Miss Ashley” as their program leader. James Amato, Deputy Secretary for Catholic Social Services, commented: “Ashley’s devotion to the youth with whom she works is a rare quality to find, and it makes her an integral part of our organization.”