A promise to help uplift the youth
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
By Laranzo Dacres
From the hearts and minds of a small group of passionate Jamaicans, comes the Second-Chance Youth Organization, a non-profit organisation focused on moving mountains within the black community.
“We have an unbiased approach to our black brothers and sisters and their challenges, because we have been there,” were the words of founder Newton Danvers. “I decided to start this organisation because I really want to help my people.
This black-on-black violence has to be addressed, we cannot just sweep it under the mat, it is real and very detrimental to our black community. And we are here to do something about it, period.”
The organisation has been operational for a little over a year now, though
the founding members have been working assiduously, to emancipate the minds of members of the black communities within Scarborough for almost twenty years.
“Not only are we pushing change through an unbiased method we are also a results-oriented organisation, so we are there with our members every step of the way,” said Ricardo Cunningham, a board director.
Other board directors include Shanel Knoebelreiter and Sheldon Griffiths.
Second-Chance has a number of programmes that it will be spearheading, which Cunningham believes is a positive step within the right direction to foster change. Danvers also said that a number of these programmes are set to get underway this summer, following the official launch on July 2.
“We have programmes such as Food for Thoughts, Youth Action Plan, Community Rejuvenation Project, Young Women’s Empowerment and The Dream League, that will be a very big project this summer,” he said.
He added that the aforementioned programs are opened to participants of the group as he sees it as a necessary criterion to allow the youth to be surrounded by the right influences, resulting in a more effective effort.
The Food for Thoughts is an initiative that the organisation holds dearly, this is sponsored by over one hundred restaurants within the Scarborough region, where participants can get lunch at discounted prices through vouchers.
“A dollar or two will be able to feed youth for their thoughts, allowing them to concentrate on what they are learning,” said Danvers.
Dream league
“The Dream League is a scholarship program with participants from schools and volatile communities, there will be no discrimination.”
He said the league offers various sporting activities such as basketball and soccer, at which scouts will be in attendance to provide an open door to their colleges or universities for talented youth.
“Ideas to help our youth go through our heads like crazy,” said Cunningham,
“But we need organisations to come out and help us, because we have a lot of services to provide, we are providing solution, we have to.”
The organisation is currently trying to acquire a facility on Kingston Road as it is within the heart of a number of communities and schools that it would like to start assisting.
“We need that facility so we can have a proper place to help our brothers and sisters. It is an integral part of our whole operation” Danvers added.
Second Chance Youth can be contacted at 647-705-5451 or through their website www.2ndchanceyouth.org
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
By Laranzo Dacres
From the hearts and minds of a small group of passionate Jamaicans, comes the Second-Chance Youth Organization, a non-profit organisation focused on moving mountains within the black community.
“We have an unbiased approach to our black brothers and sisters and their challenges, because we have been there,” were the words of founder Newton Danvers. “I decided to start this organisation because I really want to help my people.
This black-on-black violence has to be addressed, we cannot just sweep it under the mat, it is real and very detrimental to our black community. And we are here to do something about it, period.”
The organisation has been operational for a little over a year now, though
the founding members have been working assiduously, to emancipate the minds of members of the black communities within Scarborough for almost twenty years.
“Not only are we pushing change through an unbiased method we are also a results-oriented organisation, so we are there with our members every step of the way,” said Ricardo Cunningham, a board director.
Other board directors include Shanel Knoebelreiter and Sheldon Griffiths.
Second-Chance has a number of programmes that it will be spearheading, which Cunningham believes is a positive step within the right direction to foster change. Danvers also said that a number of these programmes are set to get underway this summer, following the official launch on July 2.
“We have programmes such as Food for Thoughts, Youth Action Plan, Community Rejuvenation Project, Young Women’s Empowerment and The Dream League, that will be a very big project this summer,” he said.
He added that the aforementioned programs are opened to participants of the group as he sees it as a necessary criterion to allow the youth to be surrounded by the right influences, resulting in a more effective effort.
The Food for Thoughts is an initiative that the organisation holds dearly, this is sponsored by over one hundred restaurants within the Scarborough region, where participants can get lunch at discounted prices through vouchers.
“A dollar or two will be able to feed youth for their thoughts, allowing them to concentrate on what they are learning,” said Danvers.
Dream league
“The Dream League is a scholarship program with participants from schools and volatile communities, there will be no discrimination.”
He said the league offers various sporting activities such as basketball and soccer, at which scouts will be in attendance to provide an open door to their colleges or universities for talented youth.
“Ideas to help our youth go through our heads like crazy,” said Cunningham,
“But we need organisations to come out and help us, because we have a lot of services to provide, we are providing solution, we have to.”
The organisation is currently trying to acquire a facility on Kingston Road as it is within the heart of a number of communities and schools that it would like to start assisting.
“We need that facility so we can have a proper place to help our brothers and sisters. It is an integral part of our whole operation” Danvers added.
Second Chance Youth can be contacted at 647-705-5451 or through their website www.2ndchanceyouth.org
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