kids on the street turn it around

Most of us don't have to worry about where we're going to sleep, or how much hard time we'll put into jail because we're living our lives out of desperation, not out of hope. In fact, that's probably the furthest thing from our minds. But for a group of kids from the Lower East Side of New York City, that's how it was. The Andrew Glover Youth Project, named for a cop who devoted his life to helping kids in trouble, reaches out to teens and helps them become independent thinkers so they can disentagle themselves effectively from the toxic environments that have trapped them before. After they get the basic help they need (food, clothes, school, legal help, whatever), they're taught to do something productive for themselves and the world. This is a program that succeeds in keeping teens out of prison because it reinstills much-needed self-esteem, and that goes a loooong way to keeping them out of trouble for good. Some of their inspiring stories can be found in a new chapbook, a small book of stories or poems, on sale for $8. If you're interested in purchasing it (the $8 goes straight back into the program), e-mail my pal Rob at rob@robkimmeldesign.com. Put "chapbook" in the subject line.

Check out the Andrew Glover Youth Program Website here for more info!

Here's to lifting a helping hand,
Rachel A.
Research Director