MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — A community program hopes to inspire Milwaukee’s youth to make better decisions for their futures.
“They say it takes a village to raise a kid; it really does, and that's how it is in VFZ,” said junior Jaylyn Henderson.
For high schoolers like Henderson, finding a positive outlet and support can be tough.
“If you keep forcing it, they're not going to try to come to you. They're not going to want to listen to you. They're not going to want to do that. You have to let them guide themselves,” Henderson said.
Henderson credits the Violence Free Zone through the Milwaukee Christian Center with changing his life.
Watch: Milwaukee Christian Center inspires students with Violence Free Zone
“I was a rough one. I was a real rough one freshman year, and I didn't know that I could get these types of results until I joined VFZ,” Henderson said.
Under the MCC umbrella, five Milwaukee Public Schools have an on-site Violence Free Zone: South Division, Bay View, Pulaski, Bradley Tech, and Madison Academic.
Director of Violence Prevention Andre Robinson says that presence across the city is crucial to reaching as many kids as possible.
“Young people understand that when they see this logo, ‘All right, I can trust that person. I can talk to that person, and even if that person is not going to be my mentor, that person will help me get to a mentor,’” Robinson said.
South Division Site Supervisor Ronald Johnson Jr. says he relies on the connections his mentors make with each student to ensure they stay out of trouble and succeed.
“The fight that we're fighting, because we're saving lives, it takes a lot to do it,” Johnson said.
Both Robinson and Johnson say thousands of students have gone through this program and are now giving back to their own communities.
“These are the types of relationships that we walk into, these situations hoping to have and to maintain for an eternity. I'm their mentor for life,” Robinson said.
Henderson says he is grateful for the community he has built through the VFZ and encourages other kids to give it a try.
“That’s the reason why I have to let this be known, let it be shared. For all the kids that think they can't do anything in life, can't be something in life—you could; you just have to talk to the right people. You've got connections; you just have to go to them,” Henderson said.
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