Teens Get Cooking Experience

Teens at risk for re-offending or resuming their drug habits are exactly those teens who are just getting out of programs. Teenagers leaving boarding schools for troubled teens and teen boot camps stand a far better chance of remaining clean and on track if they are immediately directed towards a jobs training program that leads to employment. When first released, a teen is vulnerable to the lure of old friends who bring their old bad habits with them. They need new activities to fill their time, activities that will emphasize the lessons that they learned during rehab. Recognizing the need for teen follow-up, the Juvenile Intervention & Faith-Based Follow-Up has answered it.

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“A local ministry that helps young people escape the juvenile justice system also is working to provide answers for what some can do after they’re out of it. As part of a $3.5 million renovation of its current facility on Lauderdale Street, Juvenile Intervention & Faith-Based Follow-Up (JIFF) is building a culinary arts training center to provide youths between the ages of 16 and 22 an opportunity to learn cooking skills they can parlay into careers. “We believe that this community is desperate for something like this,” said JIFF executive director Rev. Rick Carr. “These urban youth are part of a system that’s failing. We’re looking to provide some answers and some hope and some direction for them through vocational training.” (unknown source) By Ann Walker