Teens Matter Summit was held on Wednesday June 27th. Middle and High school teens participated in a “Stop the Violence” Night with Police Activity League. A mini grant from the Drug Free Lex was awarded to cover the cost of the night event.
Thanks to Jill Chenault Wilson for the fantastic summary of the event below:
Arts and Crafts with a Peace Theme was created by teens , door prizes were given away and refreshments were served to everyone in attendance. Operation Making a Change teens came with Mr. Geo Gibson Director. Mr. Geo Gibson was also one of our guest speakers. Councilman James Brown also gave words of wisdom to the group about gun violence. Anita Franklin gave a testimony to our teens about her losing her son to gun violence and how the group should be careful while in the streets engaging in inappropriate BEHAVIOR. P.a.l. Officer Jon Washington and Sergeant Berry also spoke to the group and being safe and activities that P.A.L will be offering so everyone will have plenty to do. T-shirt were passed out to teens which showed the Eye of Horus which represents protection, health, safe keeping, rebuilding. “East end Teens Matter” was also printed on the back. My goal was to give resources to our teens to be safe in the community and also be aware of substance abuse. Safe Kids provided a table of resources about substance abuse for teens. We had teens from the eastend area , parents and guest speakers made the night a success. A total of 140 participants for the event which was a great success. Refreshments were served to everyone.
The community center had a great impact on our teens in the east end neighborhood. By hosting this event many resources were presented to help our teens live a safe and healthier lifestyle. Gun violence and substance abuse is a big problem in this census tract area of Lexington. We have lost several teens to gun violence as well. I feel the knowledge that was presented during this event will plant some seeds in our teens and make them become more aware of their surroundings. Peer pressure is also a big element in gun and substance abuse in this area.
Drug Free Lex 