Making an Impact

"Making an Impact"

Street crime is a common occurrence in most parts of the country. Whether it is vandalism, shoplifting, pick pocketing, or purse snatching, these types of crimes take up valuable time of law enforcement and courts. While juveniles cannot be totally blamed for such crimes, they account for a big share. Some municipalities have had to resort to curfews for juveniles, while others have had to hire extra law enforcement at peak times of the year. The problem with these juvenile crimes is that they are often gateway crimes. Young people get involved in crime and progress deeper into the lifestyle. If it is possible to intervene in this cycle, it may be possible to change a life, as well as the crime rate. Langston Hughes' "Thank You M'am" is a good example of such intervention. When Roger attempts to snatch Mrs. Jones' purse, she surprises him, and likely teaches him a lesson he will not forget. While there are people like Mrs. Jones who try to mentor children and make a difference in their lives, the world needs more of them.

In the story, Roger loses his balance and falls when he attempts to snatch Mrs. Jones' purse. She picks him, shakes him, and begins to interrogate him about what he was doing. Rather than turn Roger loose or take him to the police, Mrs. Jones drags Roger to her apartment. She gets him to wash his face and comb his hair, and begins to fix supper. It's during this time that Roger tells Mrs. Jones that there was no one at his house, that he had not had supper, and that he had tried to snatch her pocketbook to buy a pair of blue suede shoes. Mrs. Jones tells Roger that she had "done things, too, which (she) would not tell." "Everybody's got something in common," she says. Mrs. Jones feeds Roger supper. Then, she gives him ten dollars to buy the shoes he wanted. She tells him repeatedly to behave himself as she leads him to the door. Roger was speechless as Mrs. Jones shut the door.

A major problem in America today is that there are too many children in Roger's situation. In many cases, both parents are working just to get by, and children are left unattended. With no guidance or supervision, the children often wind up in trouble. We need more people to spend time with these children as mentors during this time. If not, the gangs and drug dealers hanging around the schools and neighborhoods will. Children "don't need more basketball goals," but they need someone to teach them about life. The children most prone to getting in trouble are the ones who will likely not seek higher education. Rather than spending so much time and money providing sports and games, the people and organizations doing the mentoring should concentrate on teaching the children trades.

There are a several organizations that do a good job of providing mentors and programs for these at-risk children. Boys and Girls Clubs of America provide after school tutoring and programs for children at locations across the country. According to its website, the organization was started in 1860 by a group of women in Connecticut. "Believing that boys who roamed the street should have a positive alternative, they organized the first club." The Boys and Girls Clubs serve over four and a half million children at more than 3900 clubs around the country. The clubs, which offer their services at very low fees, are open every day and are staffed with trained professionals who provide a wide range of activities for the children. Boys and Girls Clubs offer more than sports and tutoring. "More than 25 national programs are available in the areas of education, the environment, health, the arts, careers, alcohol/drug and pregnancy prevention, gang prevention, leadership development, and athletics." Two of the programs in particular make a step towards providing the job training suggested. The first is CareerLaunch. This program offer job assessment tests, career planning, job skills activities, and interviewing tips. The second program is Job Ready. This program for teenagers sixteen to eighteen years old provides "effective job hunting techniques and helps them develop the skills necessary to be successful once on the job."

Another organization that provides assistance to children is Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. A big difference between Big Brothers and Big Sisters and Boys and Girls Clubs is that Big Brothers and Big Sisters relies almost totally on volunteers, whereas the Boys and Girls Clubs are staffed by professionals. Additionally,