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Bluebag Media
Community Connectors
gears up for at-risk kids
GREENVILLE – “The barriers some of these kids face would never occur to
most of us,” said Jeff Vaughn, Director of Gateway Youth Programs. He’s
putting together the needed pieces for the Community Connectors Program
– a one-year grant (requiring a local match) by the state of Ohio – but
that doesn’t remove all the barriers at-risk young people face.
One young man has no driver’s license, no Social Security card… he went
to get a drug test for an internship but they wouldn’t do it because he
had no identification. “We know he was born in Darke County so we will
get the birth certificate,” Vaughn said. “He was upset and
disappointed… I told him we’ll get it taken care of.”
He noted another case where the girl wants to work but can’t. “She’s
pregnant. If she goes to work she has no insurance.” If she stays
unemployed, the state pays for it.
Vaughn acknowledged the system wasn’t necessarily set up for success.
He works with youth individually where he can; Community Connectors
will ideally reach at risk-kids before they reach that point… while
they’re still in high school...
Read the rest of the article at Bluebag Media
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