Sunday, April 25, 2010
By SEAN BARRON
YOUNGSTOWN
For the third consecutive year, 17-year-old Brisha Merchant has derived pleasure from walking down the middle of busy Market Street on the city’s South Side.
She never ties up traffic but does express positive ties to her community by being part of an annual parade up the corridor.
Her main reason for participating has always been the same: to demonstrate to other youngsters that the city has plenty of good offerings for them.
“Youngstown is a positive place if you put your mind to it and hang with the right crowd,” Brisha said after walking in Saturday’s sixth annual Unity in the Community parade. “I wanted to be in the parade to show people that Youngstown is a positive place and that the community is more than drama.”
Brisha was one of several hundred youngsters and adults who formed the nearly milelong parade that started near Market Street and Midlothian Boulevard and headed north, ending at the HOPE Building, 2733 Market.
The event’s main sponsor was Warriors Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to reaching out to area youths.
At age 12, Brisha joined the Boys & Girls Club of Youngstown on Oak Hill Avenue, one of the organizations represented in the event. Field trips, cookouts and having a positive place to go are some of the benefits Brisha has enjoyed during her years there, she said.
The Boys & Girls Club, established in 1969, is for age 6 to 18, noted Jacquetta Peoples, a youth development specialist.
Among the club’s offerings are after-school tutoring as well as a program to help girls become mature, responsible adults, Peoples said. Others include community-service opportunities and assistance for older members with completing job r sum s, preparing for a career and opening bank accounts.
“We want to help develop kids into productive citizens,” Peoples said, adding that between 50 and 85 youngsters come daily.
Also in the parade to stress positive aspects of the city were members of Sisters of Serenity Mentoring Corp. The nonprofit organization works with girls age 11 to 16 on academics, life skills, cultural events and volunteerism, noted Neoma McDowell, executive director.
McDowell said she’s grateful to have received grants from the Denise DeBartolo York and Robert J. Wean foundations, as well as funding from Mayor Jay Williams’ office.
A main thrust of the event was to highlight business groups, agencies and many other resources in the Valley, noted Wendy Robinson, a community minister liaison with Warriors Inc. and parade organizer.
Others were to get youngsters signed up to various programs, offer health-care information and provide opportunities for young people to contribute to their communities, she said.
Another short- and long-term goal of the parade was to offer activities to help steer children and teenagers from negative choices, Robinson said. The annual event also featured a talent show, music, a hula-hoop contest and dancing.
For more information about Warriors’ programs and activities, or to sign up for next year’s parade, call (330) 783-5440.