THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 27, 1995 TAG: 9508240264
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 53 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
THE DARE COUNTY Friends of Youth, like the Marine Corps, is looking for a few good men and women.
The Friends of Youth places adult volunteers with at-risk young people in an effort to provide positive role models. Currently, 20 youngsters ages 7 to 17 are paired with adults. But an additional 17 are on a waiting list.
``Last fall, we had 24 adults and children matched,'' Friends of Youth director Bonnie Bennett said. ``We could double that. But it's going to take people in the community getting involved.''
Most of the children involved in the program come from single-parent households. Participants in the program come through referrals from the court system, local schools and the parents themselves.
``The parents of these kids are doing the best they can in many cases,'' Bennett said. ``But because they're working hard to put food on the table, they don't have the time they'd like to spend with their children. Our volunteers can help by providing a positive direction for the kids.''
Adult participants in the program donate four hours each week for a year. Volunteers must also undergo a training program to review program procedures, as well as relationship building and listening skills. All adult volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Last year some 4,000 hours of volunteer time were donated to the program.
``We want people who are committed to helping kids make positive choices in their lives,'' Bennett said. ``The support that young people get is very important.''
While some of the children are referred to the program by the juvenile court system, she said all of those involved are good kids.
``These are not bad children. These are all wonderful youth who just need some attention. We all want that.''
The Friends of Youth receives funding from the State of North Carolina, as well as Dare County, and is an arm of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. It is part of the Governor's One-On-One Volunteer Program, which encourages activism at the community level.
Bennett pointed to these statistics as evidence of the program's success:
It costs the state $1,850 per child annually to participate in the Friends of Youth. For the child to be placed in a state-run training school, it costs $42,000 a year.
92 percent of children involved in one-on-one programs like Friends of Youth have no further contact with the court system.
Seventy-seven percent of participants show improvement in grades and behavior at school.
And 72 percent make progress in their home lives.
``We're a positive alternative for a lot of kids,'' Bennett said. ``I feel that we can make a difference. We need caring, committed adults to give their time, in order to make that difference.'' MEMO: TO GET INVOLVED
The next training session for adult volunteers for the Dare County
Friends of Youth is set for October. Volunteers must be at least 18
years old, and be willing to spend at least four hours per week with
their youth. For more information, contact Bonnie Bennett or Tori
Overman at 473-1101, Ext. 257. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by VICKI CRONIS
Tori Overman, left, is program assistant and Bonnie Bennett is
program coordinator for Dare County Friends of Youth.
by CNB