Caleb Elder reads over group goals during a Reach and Rise session at the Butler YMCA.

With each stroke of colored pencils, Scarlett Hiles gave color to K-pop group Astro.

The more color she gave to her drawing, the more her anxiety was controlled.

“I have communication problems, so I came here to help with that,” said Scarlett, 15, of the Butler YMCA's Reach and Rise program. “It's helped me better communicate because now I can talk to people.”

The Commonwealth Charter Academy freshman was one of five teens in the Reach and Rise youth group mentoring program at the Butler YMCA, 339 North Washington St., Monday evening who learned about stress.

Scarlett has attended the program for three sessions.

“I think it's safe and comfortable,” she said of the space. “It helps you feel a little more comfortable if you have problems with speaking.”

Butler YMCA officials plan to kick off the mentoring program in February at the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA, 2001 Ehrman Road in Cranberry Township.

“Reach and Rise right now is our shining star,” said Dave Hilliard, Butler County YMCA president and CEO. “It's given us a vehicle to connect what's going on in the community with the struggles that everyone's facing.”

Since its inception last fall, the program in Butler has served 40 youths, ages 8 through 15, said Kate Eberle Cotter, Reach and Rise program coordinator.

This is an excerpt from a story that appeared in Wednesday's Butler Eagle.