CAMANO ISLAND — Jim Wilkin noticed the aimless kids walking around town.
He kept coming back to one question: “Who’s there for them?”
Wilkin, 62, was a volunteer at The Spot Drop-In in Stanwood for a several years. The drop-in center, part of the Youth for Christ Ministry, gives young people a safe place to go after school.
A couple of years ago Wilkin, of Camano Island, heard about a new opportunity to work with kids in the juvenile justice system. Wilkin, the father of two daughters, thought about those kids he’d seen walking the streets. He signed up to be a mentor under the Reclaiming Futures program.
Reclaiming Futures was launched in 2010 in the county’s juvenile court system. It’s modeled after a national initiative that aims to provide effective treatment for drug- and alcohol-addicted teens, and caring for their needs once they’re out of the criminal justice system. A large part of that initiative is connecting kids with positive role models.
The project paired teens with volunteer artists, photographers and musicians. Organizers also created the mentoring program with the goal of “every kid having a caring adult.”
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Bruce Weiss started the mentor program for Reclaiming Futures when he presided over the juvenile drug court.
“Everything shows that when kids have a positive adult their chances of staying out of the system and staying away from drugs and alcohol increase,” Weiss said.
It’s not just a benefit for the kids, either.
“Anything we can do to keep them out of jail and prison benefits our entire community,” he said.
The program, open to young people ages 12 to 18, has about 75 mentors. There’s always a need for more. Mentors are provided six hours of training and must undergo a criminal background checks. They’re also asked to spend four hours a month with a young person.
“This is not for the faint of heart,” mentor trainer Mike Archer said.
Archer, 68, is retired from the yearbook business and volunteers as a mentor. Mentors need patience and persistence, he said.
By the time some these kids get into the court system, they often are distrustful of adults, Wilkin said. It can be tough to connect with them once they’ve lost that trust.
The best mentors aren’t going to be judgmental of the choices, or mistakes, the young people have made, Weiss said. Volunteers should provide a safe place where kids can talk when they’re ready, he said.
That may mean sharing a meal, or keeping up over text messages, Wilkin said.
He’s been paired up with two young men. He isn’t there to be their dad. He tries to get to know the kids, what their challenges are, and whether he can offer some guidance, or maybe just be a sounding board.
Sometimes kids are more receptive to advice coming from a mentor, versus a parent.
Wilkin believes in second chances.
“We need to help them get back up. We can’t give up on them,” he said.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.
Learn more
To learn more about the mentoring program, contact Steve Strickler sstrickler@yfcseattlemetro.com or Mike Archer at rofmikearcher@gmail.com.
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