By Kate Miller, Record Managing Editor
Jordan’s Place Youth Center got help from about 40 volunteers earlier this month when a company in Clayton chose to spend its “volunteer day” at the center.Employees at Aon, an international corporation with an office in Clayton, came to Jordan’s Place June 7. The company is a risk management and reinsurance firm.The Aon employees signed up for odd jobs the full-time volunteers at the center have a hard time keeping up with during normal hours.First, the group was welcomed with a speech from co-founder and co-vice president Kelli Clodfelter.In addition to thanking the group for their time and effort, she explained what Jordan’s Place does and that her son, Jordan Lunsford, inspired the opening of it.Jordan died from a heroin overdose at the age of 17. After the tragedy, Clodfelter wanted to raise awareness about drug use in Warren County and find a way to stop it.Her friend Cathy Pritchett, who is co-founder and co-vice president with Clodfelter, approached her about opening a youth center in Jordan’s name.Together they were inspired to give kids a safe place to gather.The theory was, if teens had a fun place to go, they would choose to go there and continue to make healthy choices.Jordan’s Place opened at 202 E. Booneslick/Main St. It is a nonprofit that is supported by donations and volunteers.To have extra volunteers from Aon was a gift, the founder said.The sign-up sheets included boutique, food pantry, scrapbooking, trash pickup, flier distribution and “It’s a surprise.”“I was very impressed by the 10 people who signed up for the surprise,” said Pritchett, whose son Bryan works at Aon.The group cleared trash from Main Street, organized boutique items, filled scrapbooks with clippings for memory books and general handyman and housework services, among other things.Jordan’s Place Youth Center is filled with billiards, ping pong, foosball, a cafe, lounge, study area and more. Now, the center is adding a grocery store and a boutique for families who make too much money for assistance and not enough money to meet their family’s needs.“We want to catch those people,” Pritchett said. “And they don’t have to come in and prove their income.” The new services were printed on a flier that Aon volunteers posted around town.Aon, an international risk and reinsurance firm with an office in Clayton, choose Jordan's Place for their hands-on volunteer day. Here, from left, Fina Azman, Jamie Noirfalise and Kody Thomas update scrap books. About 40 staff members from Aon helped with projects at the youth center. Record photo/Kate Miller.
