Some stories do not end when a program does. Some stories just keep going, growing deeper, wider, and more powerful with every passing year. That is the story of the Aslan Youth Ministries alumni family.
For over five decades, Aslan Youth Ministries has been planting seeds in the lives of young people in Monmouth County. Seeds of character. Seeds of faith. Seeds of purpose. And what we have come to witness, with grateful and humbled hearts, is that those seeds do not stop growing when a child leaves our programs. They multiply. They bear fruit. And again and again, they find their way home.
Our alumni are living proof.
They are now in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, and they are professionals, parents, leaders, and givers. They are coming back. Back to volunteer. Back to mentor. Back to donate. Back to ensure the next generation of Aslan kids gets the same chance they once had. One of our alumni now serves on our Board of Directors. Others give, become major donors, set up endowments, make movies about Aslan Youth, attend events, and pour into this mission with the same love and loyalty once shown to them.
But perhaps this one story captures the spirit of this family. This is Ronald’s story.
Ronald entered the Aslan orbit as a young man and never truly left. For years, he showed up, driving the iconic blue bus, teaching Bible classes, and working with children and families, all with quiet, consistent, unshakable dedication. He married Mary Rose, whose own children had been part of Aslan’s programs. Mary Rose became a beloved part of this community and was eventually called to join Aslan’s staff as Tutorial Director, a role that seemed tailor-made for her.
Sadly, Mary Rose passed away overnight from cardiomyopathy, just one week before she was scheduled to officially join our team. The loss was devastating. Yet her legacy, in the children she loved, the family she built, and the husband she left behind, endures in everything Aslan does.
Ronald still shows up because that is what Aslan people do.
As we say to every graduate who has ever walked through our doors:
“Once a part of Aslan, always a part of Aslan. We are a family.”
And now we are building something that honors that truth in a new and lasting way, the Aslan Alumni Group.
The Alumni Association is a growing community of Aslan graduates, volunteers, and supporters who want to stay connected, give back, and ensure that the mission that changed their lives continues to transform children’s lives for generations to come.
Our goals include:
- Aslan Alumni Meetings: This will be a bi-annual gathering for Aslan alumni, volunteers, and supporters to share encouragement, deepen faith, and remain connected to the mission that shaped us.
- A Pay It Forward Giving Program: inspired by groups like Tunnel to Towers, we invite Aslan graduates to give just $10 a month. If 500 alumni commit to $10/month, that would be $60,000 a year flowing back into the programs, the children, and the communities that need it most.
- A Growing Facebook Community: Stay informed. Our Alumni Association is on Facebook, where graduates from every era reconnect, share their stories, and rally around the next generation of Aslan kids. Find us and join the family today: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1503522106638148
- An Alumni Survey: we want to hear your story. How did Aslan shape who you are? What did it mean to you then, and what does it mean to you now? Only 33 people have completed our survey so far, and every response has been remarkable. We need your voice. Please email our fundraising team at development@aslanyouth.org or craig@aslanyouth.org. We would love to hear about your family, where you are living, your career, and any other details about life after Aslan.
- Volunteer: We welcome and strongly encourage alumni participation in our after-school and summer camp programs. Helping children and giving back is one of the most rewarding experiences a former Aslan kid can have.
This is bigger than a program. It is a movement built on faith, fueled by gratitude, and driven by the belief that meaningful, lasting change comes from developing character and learning to live by the basic principles of right and wrong
