Nonprofit eyes a promising future for young participants
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By Kathie Platt Special to The Examiner
On a Tuesday night in December, the LIT Multipurpose Center was decked in holiday cheer and filled to overflowing with community members and guests commemorating the season in honor of IEA-Inspire, Encourage, Achieve “Ben’s Kids” program participants. The organization mentors and supports juvenilejustice involved youth, inspiring them towards a more promising path for their futures. Each December, IEA closes out the year with a Holiday Celebration to highlight the spirit of love, peace and joy that undergirds youth and volunteers.
IEA program founder Regina Rogers remarked on the love-filled atmosphere and the spirit of hope. “This evening brings together a remarkable community of role models and other volunteers who support our youth throughout the year, inspiring and encouraging them to reach higher and achieve their dreams.”
IEA Service Coordinator Donna Taylor hilariously disguised as Mrs. Claus, kicked off the evening with a whimsical welcome for everyone. A new addition was Our Mother of Mercy of Choir directed by Music Minister Carl Stewart and with the performance of several musical selections that had everyone singing along in the spirit of celebration and love. IEA Program Director Joe Evans introduced guest speaker Chief Donta Miller with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
“I’m Sheriff Zena Stephens’ No. 2 in the department,” Miller shared. “I’m mostly behind the scenes and go where she directs me. Last year, she appointed me to help teach ‘street law’ to the youth at the MRJJC.
“‘Our kids need us more than ever right now,’ she said, and I replied, ‘Okay, but what can I teach them?’
“I speak in front of crowds all the time. But the first time I visited, I discovered a small group of kids with such BIG personalities that I knew I needed to sit this first one out and evaluate what was occurring. I thought, ‘I’m the police. I can’t teach them how to be better.’ I even asked my wife for advice.
“Then, I went back the next week and, instead of telling them something they couldn’t hear, I started squeezing them like sponges, listening closely to their personal stories and drawing them out. I became known as ‘The guy you can talk to.’
“They began opening up, and I never judged them. Instead, I just listened and loved them, and I learned that they just want to be loved. They have made some mistakes, but they need love and the hope of getting out and going on with their lives.”
Miller concluded with an exhortation to everyone, “IEA needs volunteers more than ever right now, individuals who can show up and talk with the kids. I’m 40, and I realize that the mantel has been passed to me and I have taken it. We must be a forgiving and a hope-filled society. I tell the children, ‘You’re going to leave here and you’re going to be great. So, take this gift of love today and continue to grow and have hope for your futures.’”
IEA Executive Director Alexis Patronis acknowledged those who have been instrumental in turning young lives around this year. They included IEA staff; Jefferson County Juvenile Probation Department Chief Ed Cockrell and probation officers; Beaumont Police Chief Jimmy Singletary and several Cops N Kids officers; IEA Board president Kim Phelan and board members Singletary, Cockrell and Rogers; BISD Superintendent Dr. Shannon Allen, Board President Tillie Hickman and BISD staff; and local community leaders / dignitaries, including Beaumont Mayor Roy West and City Attorney Sharae Reed. Partnerships with juvenile justice, law enforcement, local schools, government, businesses, and faith-based and community service organizations are vital to IEA’s continued growth and success.
After a catered holiday feast, Taylor also recognized IEA team members and support staff who worked tirelessly behind-the-scenes for a successful evening and throughout the year. A BPD Blue Santa Photo Booth (featuring BPD Officer Brandon Hill), along with inflatable sleigh and reindeer, provided opportunities for holiday photos. As the evening concluded, Taylor supervised the presentation of holiday gifts to the children, their families and IEA mentors and volunteers.
The mission of IEA-Inspire, Encourage, Achieve—in cooperation with the Minnie Rogers Juvenile Justice Center (MRJJC)—is to initiate and support educational programming and rehabilitative services for at-risk youth in Southeast Texas by inspiring and encouraging them to achieve. Call (409) 839-8778 for more information.