Fri. Nov 22nd, 2024

New Outreach Programs For Gang Related Youth in the city of Syracuse

Transcript

Anchor Valentina Lafranca: New outreach programs created in the city of Syracuse to keep gang related youth off the streets. Jalyss Agosto live in downtown Syracuse with more information.

Reporter Jalyss Agosto: Live from Salvation Army, local youth related to gangs come here for supportive programs and guidance for a better life. Supervisor Marett Seymour says funding plays a big part.

Supervisor Marett Seymour: Applied for some grants for some different things to enhance our gang violence work. You know, our street outreach money, it’s fairly new.

Jalyss Agosto: Seymour adds that having a lot of unique outreach programs benefit the youth.

Marett Seymour: We have runaway homeless shelter, the only one in the county called booth house for ages 13 to 17.

Jalyss Agosto: Seymour says she believes no matter what youth are going through their life can change.

Marett Seymour: The biggest impact is that you have an adult that believes in you adult who says, if you’re going through something right now, if you’re having trouble in school, if you’re having trouble at home, if you’re going through a mental health crisis, this is just a drop in the bucket of time. And that as time goes on, you can see that your life can improve.

Jalyss Agosto: Reporting live from downtown Syracuse more outreach programs coming this August Jalyss Agosto NCC NEWS.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — The Salvation Army, fed up with gang violence on the streets of Syracuse, has decided to create outreach programs for gang related youth. Keeping kids off of the streets remains a priority for the city and these new programs will help change kids’ lives.

Supervisor Marett Seymour, director of the Syracuse chapter, says funding plays a vital part of keeping the community safe.

Seymour says the group, “applied for some grants for some different things to enhance our (anti) gang violence work. Our street outreach money, it’s fairly new.”

Seymour adds that being able to have a lot of unique outreach programs benefit the young adults.

“We have (a) runaway homeless shelter, the only one in the county, called Booth House for ages 13 to 17,” she says.

Seymour made it clear that the Salvation Army outreach programs support young people and she believes no matter what youth are going through their lives can change.

“The biggest impact you have (as) an adult,” Seymour says, is that if a young adult is “going through something right now, if you’re having trouble in school, if you’re having trouble at home, if you’re going through a mental health crisis, this is just a drop in the bucket of time. And that as time goes on, you can see that your life can improve.”

Seymour believes the Salvation Army will continue to do its best to help as many gang related young adults get off the streets as it can.