A mentoring program for teenagers accused of crimes works to help after the storms

A Tampa program that mentors teenagers who have been arrested is working to get them focused on staying out of trouble after recent hurricanes disrupted their routines.

Safe and Sound Hillsboro runs evening programs that young people charged with crimes can attend as an alternative to juvenile detention.

Teens in the program are court-ordered to attend and receive anger management counseling, as well as support with education, employment and other needs.

Some are forced to attend daily, something that wasn’t possible when Hurricanes Milton and Helen forced schools and organizations to temporarily close and some residents to evacuate their communities.

Staying in touch with teenagers when they couldn’t be together in person was critical, said Thaddeus Wright, who runs the Safe and Sound Hillsborough evening reporting center.

According to him, case managers contacted young people daily to fulfill their court requirements. Programming resumed in person on Oct. 17, but Wright said some families affected by the storm still need help.

Stephanie Colombini

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WUSF

“One of the biggest things we’ve learned is that a lot of these kids are facing charges because they’re food insecure, so they’re committing crimes because they’re hungry,” he said. “So when you add the stress of not having energy and the little food they had at home, they lose that as well, it’s stressful for them.”

Mentors from Safe and Sound received food from Feeding Tampa Bay and are delivering it to some families in need, Wright said.

Restaurants and community members have also donated meals that the group serves during the evening program, which is temporarily based at the Tampa Center for Disease Control while the regular location is renovated.

Another challenge for teenagers is staying on top of their education, Wright said.

Most of the children in the program had already missed many classes due to the arrests, so the school closures due to the storm caused further disruptions.

“We try to help by letting them do their homework and work with them in any way we can to help them catch up, but it’s very stressful,” Wright said.

Safe and Sound’s priority is to continue working to help families meet their basic needs by providing them with food and other services.

Taking hunger out of the equation, Wright said, helps teens focus on their education and mental health.

If you are interested in donating food or supplies, you can find more information about Safe and Sound Hillsborough on the organization’s website.