Group races to help at-risk kids
A mentoring program that’s on a journey to alter the course of youth who’ve been arrested hosted a Saturday fun run to raise money and awareness.
About 100 people turned out in a drizzle for the 3-mile run to benefit the Juvenile Justice Services Mentoring Program. The run began at Higgins Point boat ramp on the east end of Lake Coeur d’Alene.
One boy was too young to shave but already had a probation officer – underscoring the value of making an impact on kids before it’s too late.
“Most of our at-risk youth are from single-parent homes. That’s just the way things are nowadays. Some of them just need that positive role model in their lives,” said Debbie Nadeau, supervisor of Kootenai County Community Justice Programs.
The program serves 29 boys and girls ages 12 to 17. At-risk youths are mentored by 26 adults, who spend at least an hour a week taking them on outings, visiting over coffee or helping with homework.
“We always have a need for more mentors. It’s harder to find men than women,” Nadeau said.
Potential mentors are screened and then program coordinator Alix Rowland matches them with kids they share common interests with, such as fishing, hiking or playing music.
Mentors are asked to introduce the young people to a vocation, Rowland said. For example, a teenage girl expressed an interest in becoming a veterinarian, so her mentor arranged for her to watch a procedure at Prairie Animal Hospital.
The mentoring program was started with federal grant money three years ago, but now needs to raise its own annual budget of about $10,000. This was the first year for the run, which is expected to become an annual fundraiser. Oz Fitness and Sport Cellar provided giveaways and prizes, and artist Stephen Shortridge donated a framed print valued at $1,200 for a raffle.
Mandy Jacques, who raised $5,000 for the program last year and helped organize Saturday’s fun run, has mentored four girls in the past two years.
The firefighter and emergency medical technician for the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department is working with a 15-year-old who has helped train search and rescue dogs.
“She comes to all the search dog stuff with me. She’s one of our best volunteers for the North Idaho Search and Rescue,” Jacques said.
In the six months the teenager has participated in the mentor program, her grades have improved dramatically and she’s set to get off probation early for good behavior, said Jacques.
Having the one-on-one attention helps children and teens feel better about themselves, Nadeau said, adding that studies indicate an increase in self-esteem translates into better grades and fewer problems in school.
Bonnie Cooper, a clinician with Anchor House, a treatment center that serves adolescent males referred by the juvenile justice and health and welfare systems, brought a group of boys to the fun run.
Cooperviews the mentoring program as a means to offset the many challenges that at-risk youth face – including growing up in poverty or in households where drug and alcohol abuse is present.
“They say at-risk kids, if they have one strong, positive adult in their lives, it makes a difference.”