Linking Youth With Positive Options Provide Keys to Survival
by Lesley R. Chinn
Linking youth with options is thekey that helps a Markham youthagency survive, even through thetoughest financial times.
The Link and Options Center, Inc.recently received a $200,000 grantfrom Congressman Bobby Rushsoffice to house an alternative-toschoolssuspension program for at-risk students. If theyre not inschool, theyre involved in the criminaljustice system and its just acycle, stated Twin Green, the LinkCenters founder/CEO/President.Our agency is empowered to providingintervention and preventionprogramming for students to riseabove these circumstances anddecide that education, family, andcommunity play a big role in self-sufficiency.
Although the agency has receivedfederal funding, Green stated thatstate funding has been a little slow.
It forced her to put her staff on atemporary leave of absence back inDecember. That was the first timethat Iever had to do anything likethat.
However, by Gods grace, Greenstated that the agency has been fortunateenough to escape that obstaclebecause of the support fromMarkham Mayor David Webb andhis administration in addition tocollaborationswith other communitypartners. We havent had to closeany of our programs and thats anaccomplishment for a grassrootsorganization to keep its doors openfor 10 years.
The Centers 10th year anniversaryis August 4, but the agency will celebratetheir milestone three monthsearlier at a fundraiser on May 17 atSweet Georgia Brown, 4167 W.183rd St. in Country Club Hills from5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $65. Formore information, call NatalieMayfield, the centers executiveassistant at (708) 331-4880.
Based in Markham, the agencyoffers education and preventionservices for at-risk youth.Throughmentoring services, opportunitiesare available for youth toexpand their range of choices toempower themselves to achieve positivegrowth and development,improve their life expectations forfuture success, and avoid negativebehavior.
Its an extra outside person that helps them to get them to be the bestperson that they can be. Its not thatwere taking away the parents role,sometimes with parents workschedules or if there is one parentin the home, a lot of kids dont getthat opportunity to get the tutoringthat they need, said DamitaCravins, the centers mentor coordinator.
The agency, which also has a musicengineering program where studentscan produce their own songs, toutsan 85 percent success rate of highschool graduates attending collegeand graduating from higher learninginstitutions.
The students that we encounter areon the low-end of the grading scale.Once we get these students, wework with them along with theirparents, teachers, and counselors tohelp bring those grades up, Cravinsstated. We need the parents cooperationto help [students] becomesuccessful.
In the mentoring program, studentshave an opportunity to discuss current topics that impact their lives.Two of the most recent student topicsthat Cravins spoke of involvedthe alleged domestic abuse disputebetween R&B stars Chris Brownand Rihanna. They also discussedyouth gun violence that haveimpacted more than a reported 31Chicago Public School students.
We need to know where [the students]head is because a lot of timeskids have the wrong perception ofwhats right and wrong and whatsreally acceptable. A lot of kids maythink that someone that got shot ontheir block is what happens all thetime. Were trying to get them out ofthe mind frame [to understand]thats not ok. Once we let themknow that there are other thingsgoing on in the world, that helpsthem to grow, she said.
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