Friends of Long Creek, founded in 1995, supports youth in Maine's juvenile justice system through donated clothes for job interviews and court dates, gift cards to reward progress, and college courses taught on-site. Volunteers believe every kid deserves a second chance.
In 2022, the Friends of Long Creek Youth Development Center purchased dress clothes for youth who are residents here. There are times when a nice dress outfit for an occasion changes the demeanor and attitude of a youth. It's a good moment, another step towards turning their life around. A graduation day, a Christmas dinner, job interview or court date, a family funeral. And yes, upon departure, the outfit goes with the youth.
The Friends of Long Creek formed in 1995 as an all-volunteer 501, completely separate and independent from Long Creek Youth Development Center.
The mission of the Friends of Long Creek is to support programs directed toward returning these kids involved in the criminal justice system in Maine back to their communities as productive citizens.
The Friends of Long Creek are an amazing organization. They are a group of people who have provided steadfast support to not only the youth at Long Creek, but also to the staff here. They're here for things both big and small, and it's not just about financial assistance. It's wonderful that they can help with items like the suit drive, which is an amazing program that we have here, thanks to the Friends of Long Creek.
At the height, the center housed over 120 teens and young adults. Currently, the center numbers in the mid-20s, 90% male. With the downsizing of the center and a desire to keep more kids in their communities, Friends of Long Creek have increased the level of support for the JCCOs. The friends bring us simple but effective ways for JCCOs to reach out to kids. Movie tickets, fast food gift cards, bowling, but they are extremely helpful tools to get kids to open up.
I, I supervise the juvenile probation officers, or JCCOs, in Cumberland County, and about 12 years ago we approached Friends of Long Creek to find ways to help motivate or give incentives or rewards for kids who were meeting what we call case plan goals, that is attending school, attending counseling, just doing well in general. And they were generous enough to give us a bunch of gift cards that we could give out to various local businesses, restaurants, fast food, movie theaters as a reward. And we found it to be really helpful working with the kids. It's changed our relationship with the kids.
Our primary program is the Creek to College program, whereby we bring in college professors from Southern Maine Community College to Long Creek to teach college credit courses to the kids, and surprisingly, a large proportion of the kids at Long Creek take those courses.
Friends is not a political organization, and we're not lobbying one point of view. I think we all want to see a better path forward in the rehabilitation and rejuvenation of a young life.
The Friends are here to show these young adults that while they're in the current system, there are people in their communities who care about them.
Donating to the Friends of Long Creek is the belief that inside every kid is a good person. These are teenagers, and the line between having the confidence to move forward can sometimes be just knowing that others believe in you.
They support us in so many ways. They're here for graduations and holidays when a youth may not have family that can travel. They're here for them. They celebrate birthdays with us, and they're here to support our staff and make sure that they know that we are not alone in the work that we do.
Supporting the Friends of Long Creek, a 501 organization, with your financial or asset support or your personal participation through volunteering, mentoring, will have results that are difficult to measure, impossible to put a price on, but certainly always appreciated.
Like a creek, we're on a journey winding through the woods, over and around obstacles, searching, finding our way. We are the friends to those who need help on the journey.
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