New Haven Independent

Posted by: Lovebabz | February 14, 2006 7:05 PM

God if we really did care about kids...imagine what New Haven and America would look like, be like. Every child having the essentials, a safe warm place to sleep, hopeful teachers, loving parents, caring adults on every corner. Encouragemnt and support and guidance and kind words. Imagine if we really cared about children, DCF wouldn't exist, youth violence would be void from our vocabulary. If we really cared about children, every single child from deep in the Mississippi to the affluence of Santa Barbara, from Ansonia to Greenwich would be loved, wanted and encouraged. We have got to move from doing to young people to doing with young people. In my pre-scandal days--before my work at the Housing Authority, I successfully ran a little program called Jumpstart for Young Children--a school readiness program for 3-5 year olds. It was an enhancement to headstart. We did such a wonderful job that we were awarded The President's Community Service Award from the Points of Light organization--I stood in the Oval Office with then President Bill Clinton enagaging me in a one-on-one conversation on how to better support early learning. It seems a lifetime ago. Jumpstart has long since closed its New Haven doors--but thrives through-out the Country. It is my hope that those of us who live and breathe, take on the issues of New Haven's youth as a personal mission. One that propels us to be dilligent in our efforts to care for our children. Alice Walker said it best "Anything We Love, We Can SAVE" We've got some saving to do...don't we?