Trust out to help youth ride a wave of change

Krista Davis has launched Live for More to help young people aged 17-25 caught up in lifestyles of alcohol, drugs and crime. Photograph by John Borren

Young people facing bleak futures will be offered the chance to turn their lives around by tapping into one of nature's great natural highs - surfing.

Tauranga counsellor and surfer Krista Davis has set up a charitable trust to work with young adults caught up in alcohol, drugs and crime.

The trust, Live for More, stems from a faith she has held since her early teens when she realised the joy of surfing can expand horizons and set people on new pathways.

"It was the perfect recipe for getting active, having fun and doing something with other people. It plants the seed of accomplishment, not just sitting around at home getting wasted."

Launched last month, the trust was geared at 17- to 25-year-olds, an age group she said fell through the gaps of support systems.

"Some people think I am crazy, but there is nothing better than seeing the lives of these young people totally transformed and off the drugs."

The American-born psychology graduate has lived in Tauranga for five years, working as a counsellor for the Get Smart youth drug and alcohol service.

Ms Davis would work with people who had reached the point where they wanted to start changing their lives.

For Krista Davis, surfing holds the key to turning young people's lives around. Photo / John Borren

Her passion has been rewarded by the formation of a board of trustees who were solidly behind her vision, helping with donations of a van and a set of 10 surfboards and wetsuits. Ms Davis has also received a donation of working capital to tide her over while she gets Live for More in motion, with the goal of making a living from self-referrals or referrals from agencies like the courts.

In the meantime she was doing almost everything by herself saying she would like to find a volunteer administrator.

The trust has launched a 200 club to get 200 people to give $5 a week: "People want to give money into something they know will succeed, something in line with their values."

Live for More:

* Website: www.liveformore.org.nz

* Contact: 022-548-4667 (022 LIV 4 MOR)

* Email: info@liveformore.org.nz