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Program offers young people a route away from life of street violence |
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webmaster
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Posted: 27.07.2006, 20:44
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registered: Sep. 2005
Posts: 6
Status: offline
last visit: 06.02.08
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From the SJ Mercury News
By Yomi S. Wronge
Mercury News
Whoever handed 16-year-old Abraham Duarte a flier for Sunday's cease-fire event in San Jose might have saved his life.
The Oak Grove High School junior was this close to joining a violent street gang; now he's seriously considering otherwise.
``I'm stuck in the middle,'' Abraham said, adding that he's caught between the scary world of his beloved brother -- who is active in a gang but wishes he wasn't -- and a shot at a real future.
``I don't want him to do stuff I'm doing,'' said older brother Vince Duarte, 18, a self-identified Norteņo gang member who surprised himself by showing up at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, where Victory Outreach church staged its third annual program to lure young men and women away from drugs and gangs.
The congregation, most of them ex-gang members, offered a tempting salve to the initiated and those at the crossroad: salvation.
Part religious revival, part variety hour, the rally featured speakers who told the crowd of more than 200 that if they could walk away from miserable, violent lives, anyone could.
``When I came to the Lord, my life was completely destroyed,'' said 34-year-old Jorge Gonzalez, who listed an abusive upbringing, stints in juvenile hall, drug addiction and a failed marriage among his battle scars.
``At 23 somebody ministered to me,'' and things started to change, Gonzalez said.
He joined Victory Outreach, a Christian group dedicated to helping broken families and to keeping people away from drugs and gangs.
The church held Sunday's rally to draw a momentary truce between the Sureņos and the Norteņos, two of San Jose's most notorious street gangs...
This is just a snippet of the article. Honestly, from what I've seen around me, in the news, and on TV I can't imagine doing this or even how anyone could be successful. Obviously having the message delivered by people that were in the same shoes must help. But I'm still amazed!!!
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jcarlson
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Posted: 28.07.2006, 12:48
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registered: May. 2006
Posts: 3
Status: offline
last visit: 25.03.08
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I think programs like Victory Outreach work because for many of the young people this is the first time in their lives that someone has cared about them and paid them any positive attention. Caring about and connecting with the people who come to the rallies is what the Victory Outreach guys to very well. Many of the speakers are very charismatic and interesting to get to know. Anne and I have met some of them over the years due to her time as a Chaplin in Juvenile Hall.
Jim
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