Options for Youth

When I was growing up on the lower east side of Manhattan there was a system of “settlement houses” that effectively kept most of us on the right track.

I’m not sure of the funding but the staff was professional at the top level and then those who worked with the youngsters were volunteers from the local colleges and universities.

We were encouraged to organize into clubs as an alternative to street gangs. There were social events, training programs for the kids and our parents as well, and athletic competition. This was the real “melting pot” in action as it was a mix of many different cultures.

We all valued that experience so much that we continue to have yearly reunions in Florida. This might very well be a solution for today’s wayward youngsters.

BERNARD LEHRER, Ventura