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Printer-Friendly ModeCommunity programs help city of Saginaw
submitted by Practicum IV nursing students
December 10, 2007 —
We are a group of SVSU nursing students. We were assigned to do a project working with the community where we had to explore the assets available to help residents intervene on an issue. Our community was the city of Saginaw and none of our group members reside there. Because of this fact, all of our knowledge and experience of the area came from the news, newspapers, and word of mouth. We viewed Saginaw as a scary place with lots of violence and gang activity.
After working for 10 weeks, we discovered many programs and institutions within the city that had an impact on our perceptions. Through interviews and research of multiple organizations, we have found that most violence in the city is gang-related with the majority being attacks on members of rival gangs. We have learned that the community is recognizing and responding to this issue with programs such as: Family Youth Initiative (FYI), Boys and Girls Club, Parishioners on Patrol, Neighborhood Watches, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
You can be proactive in decreasing gang violence through active participation in any of these programs. FYI is a program that was particularly interesting to us. It is an organization that helps prevent youth from getting involved with drug and alcohol use. They offer safe houses for children and adolescents under 18 to go to after school for safety, homework help, and activities. To enroll your child or to become a mentor contact FYI at 1-877-FYI-4YOU, or there is an office on the 5th floor of the Saginaw Health Department.
Michelle Bottke, Beth Butterfield, Vivian Gallofin, Kelli Kaiser, Ashley Kinde, Rebekah Walter, Tony McDaniel, and Dana Wasek Practicum IV nursing Students