A Tampa program that mentors teens who've been arrested is working to keep them focused on staying out of trouble after recent hurricanes disrupted their routines.
Safe and Sound Hillsborough runs evening programs that young people charged with crimes can attend as an alternative to going to juvenile jail.
Teens in the program are court-ordered to attend and receive anger management counseling and support with education, jobs, and other needs.
Some are required to go daily, which wasn't possible when hurricanes Milton and Helene forced schools and organizations to temporarily close and some residents to evacuate their communities.
Staying connected with the teens when they couldn't be together in person was critical, said Thaddeus Wright, who manages Safe and Sound Hillsborough's evening reporting center.
Case managers contacted young people daily in order to meet their court requirements, he said. Programming resumed in person on Oct. 17, but Wright said some families affected by the storms still need help.
"One of the biggest things we’ve learned is that a lot of these kids get charges because of food insecurity, so they’re out committing crimes because they’re hungry," he said. "So when you add the stress of not having power and the little food they had at home, they're losing that as well, it is stressful on them."
Mentors with Safe and Sound got food from Feeding Tampa Bay and are delivering it to some families in need, Wright said.
Restaurants and members of the community have also donated meals that the group serves during evening programming, which is temporarily based at the CDC of Tampa while the usual location is being renovated.
Another challenge for teens is staying on top of their education, Wright said.
Most kids in the program have already missed a lot of school because of their arrests, so storm-related school closures caused further disruption.
“We try to help by allowing them to do homework and we work with them in every way we can to help them catch up, but it is very stressful," said Wright.
Safe and Sound’s priority moving forward is to keep working to help families meet basic needs by getting them food and other services.
Taking hunger out of the equation, Wright said, helps teens focus on their education and mental health.
If you’re interested in donating food or supplies, you can find more information about Safe and Sound Hillsborough on the organization’s website.
