Drug abuse

...Haverstraw Juvenile Mentoring Program seeks funding to stay afloat Haverstraw Juvenile Mentoring Program seeks funding to stay afloat By HEMA EASLEY heasley@lohud.com THE JOURNAL NEWS How to help To volunteer or become a member of Big Brother Big Sister, visit www.bbbsofrc.com or call Gillian Ballard at 845-634-2199 Ext.

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(Original publication: March 31, 2006) HAVERSTRAWAfter a casual meal of pizza and soda, the boisterous group of boys and girls settled down into a circle to discuss the lessons they learned from a police officer's talk about gangs the previous week."Gangs are violent," offered Juan Nieves, a Haverstraw boy of 12 with wavy hair."They'll force you to do drugs and kidnap you," added Brian Duarte, 10, of Haverstraw.Officer Chris Dodrill's presentation in mid-March was one of the many positive messages that children at Big Brothers Big Sisters' Juvenile Mentoring Program, or JUMP, have been exposed to since the federally funded program was introduced two years ago.

Dodrill is a student resource officer and a DARE officer with the Ramapo Police Department.The program, administered by the Department of Justice, offers one-to-one mentoring projects for mostly low-income Hispanic youths at risk of failing or dropping out of school or becoming involved in gang activity and substance abuse.The program has helped keep many children from a life of crime by providing positive role models, helping with schoolwork and teaching them how to deal with conflict and reso...

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