OPINION|
The week of Thanksgiving — the week we demonstrate and show thanks for so many things. I started thinking about everything I am thankful for in my life — even the trials and tribulations.
When I look back on my life and think of challenges I encountered, I am thankful because I had a solid foundation with hope for the future. I was raised with morals, integrity, the need to give back to others and many other attributes. When I strayed in life, I had a foundation to return to for guidance that still gave me hope. I recognize everyone does not have the same background or the means to even assess what could have been different in their lives, especially when hope is gone.
This article is not written as a downer — it is written in gratitude and to reinstall hope with the greatest thank you to the Springfield community. I am thankful for the hope Springfield continues to provide with its willingness to address the most difficult and sensitive issues in our community.
Recently, I became certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. I took the course because Community Partnership of the Ozarks requires all employees to have training in mental health first aid. I learned so much when completing the casework. I heard people describe situations when they did not see the signs that led a loved one to using suicide to end their life. Did you know death by suicide is the second highest cause of death for youth in our nation?
This was astonishing to me and made me think of several youths I mentored in the past who displayed signs not part of normal adolescence. However, being among several trusting adults for the youth, we were able to instill them with hope. If I knew then what I know now, I believe we could have helped even more young people. It made me think of how some of our youth get to a point of hopelessness. It is tragic and ties to my last article about young people ages 13 to 18 acquiring guns and committing crimes. Do you know that most of the causes for mental health illnesses for youth are trauma related? Trauma can be in many forms such as parents divorcing, neglect, and various types of abuse.
How do we address issues our youth are exposed to when they may have family members and parents who are broken because they may have experienced abuse when they were young? When the traumas are not addressed, we carry them into adulthood and when we do not address our own mental health, we can repeat unhealthy behaviors with our children. I am thankful for the school district’s use of trauma-informed techniques to better help youth unpack trauma before they become an adult. I am thankful because community members are doing what they can do to help the community.
‘Brilliant' to stage movie marathon
I thought it was brilliant for Connecting Grounds and Brentwood Church to coordinate a movie marathon to provide a warm place for people without homes to stay when the weather was freezing. I am thankful for “Rock” providing halfway homes for people who were previously incarcerated to get back on their feet and thankful for the employers who hire individuals previously incarcerated. I am thankful for Pastor Roger E. Franklin Sr. and Mimi’s restaurant for hosting a gathering of support the day after a young man’s life was taken. Thankful for the Springfield Police Department for working diligently to arrest three suspects. Before we pass judgment, let’s pause and think about what type of upbringing these young people had that led to the alleged behavior.
Our community is doing great things to instill hope for youth and adults. For example, Missouri State University President Clif Smart helping start the SAAB program years ago at MSU. Brian Fogle with Community Foundation of the Ozarks and his friends who initially funded suits and trips to SAAB conferences.
I am thankful for H. Wes Pratt who started as a civil rights activist in this city when he was 16 years old and has been fighting for equality here ever since, especially for young men. I am thankful for Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe for growing the SAAB Brother to Brother program to 200+ leaders connected to top employers in the community. Thank you to Superintendent Grenita Lathan who saw the vision for SAAB and inclusiveness. Thank you to some of the community centers like the Boys and Girls Club, Drew Lewis Foundation and the Dream Center for assisting parents and community nonprofit organizations regain hope.
Finally, thank you Janet Dankert, CEO/President of CPO. She gave B2B/SAAB their first solid home and strives to proactively address critical issues that impact our youth, their parents and neighborhoods.
Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for seeing the good in people and doing your part to instill hope.
