Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther visited a workshop Tuesday on the city’s south side that aims to support youth who have experienced community violence.
ReRoute is a community-based program that provides intervention for youth between the ages of 13 and 21 who have experienced traumatic events or have seen gun and community violence. The day of programming was held at the Marion Franklin Center, located at 2801 Lockbourne Road.
Ginther said the city will continue to invest in prevention, intervention and enforcement programming, but curfews should also be considered.
“I need every parent in this community to set and enforce a curfew,” Ginther said. “I also need parents to step up and know who their kids are socializing with, monitor their social media, check their rooms, make sure that they don't have weapons or firearms that could cause harm to themselves or others. So you know, police cannot raise children. We need parents to step up and do their part.”
While ReRoute helps many children in the community, it cannot reach all of them, which is why more resources must be considered, Ginther said.
“This is just one of many programs that we fund and sponsor, and so we're going to continue to work with juvenile judges and the court system, because we do know that there are young people that aren't being reached by ReRoute,” Ginther said. “It's highly successful. It's doing a great job, but it's not going to serve every kid in every situation, and so that's why we're still at the table, working with judges in juvenile court, probation and otherwise, to figure out ways that we can reach those kids and get them on the right path.”
Rachel Harden Brook, recreation administrative manager for ReRoute, said the program offers services including mentorship, connection to recreation, case management, programming and counseling. The program is a collaboration between Columbus Recreation and Parks and Public Health, so staff from both departments work with youth.
“We're community based, so our staff go directly into schools, rec centers, we do home visits, we take kids on field trips, but ultimately the goal is to help them find a better path,” Brook said. “So the whole program is based around their own goals, but ultimately healing trauma, making better decisions and providing that support system.”
Tuesday’s activities focused on self-reflection, Brook said. Kids mapped their bodies on large sheets of paper and talked about where they’ve been, future goals, who supports them and what support they need. The youth also learned to make Thai spring rolls and build Bluetooth speakers.
Youth are connected to ReRoute mainly through referrals from schools, parents, probation officers and police. The program is typically a year long.
The ReRoute team was glad to see Ginther visit their workshop and consider how more intervention programs can be built and funded, Brook said.
“We have heard about the youth violence going on and popping up around the city, and we know programs like ReRoute are important, especially as we move towards summer and getting youth involved in positive activities,” Brook said. “So we hope to bridge that gap, along with other programs throughout Columbus working to teach kids about non violence and positive outlets.”
