Country club hills receives Governor's Cup Finalist

Country Club Hills received a Governor's Home Town Award in Springfield for it's youth mentoring program, a volunteer effort to intervene in the lives of at-risk teens and set them on an education-and--career path.

Mayor Dwight Welch credits program volunteers for bringing the honor to County Club Hills. 

"This award puts the focus where is belongs - on residents who see a problem and work together to solve it," he said. 

Project director Ald. James Ford established the program in 2008 in his 4th Ward following the murder of a young person in his neighborhood. He went door to door, gathering the men in his community on a mission to work with troubled black youth. 

"We know that African-American males age 11 to 17 are at risk in our society, at risk of losing their potential and all hope for their future.  We teach them, 'Here's a better side of life. 'We give them values they can hold on to, "Ford said.

One of the key values Ford said mentors try to instill in the teens is self-esteem. He hopes Thursday's recognition will help in the endeavor.

"Hopefully, this award lets them know we're heading in the right direction.  We'll let them know that their participation and contributions make the program effective and helped us garner the award, "Ford said. 

The Program's success has seen its ranks swell from an original seven young men and some parents to more than 80 boys and girls with 25 adult volunteers since it began in January 2008. 

"Some of these young people are missing a lot at home. It's a lifestyle, one that's missing basic guidance from a mother and a father, "Ford said.  These teens are being raided on their own.  We work with them to prove the statistics wrong.  That's our motto: PTW: Prove Them Wrong." 

The mentoring program meets every Saturday from 10a.m. to noon in a mobile unit at Southwood Middle School.  Mentors commit to regular attendance at the sessions, and youth adhere to a code of conduct, including a dress code.  Mentors also meet with their assigned teens individually during the week. 

SouthTown Star - November 1, 2009 - By John k. Ryan