Do something -- Center's message: Mission is to help children

There are all kinds of people who talk about what to do about the number of children finding themselves turning to lives of crime and drugs.

No one really has the answer to solving the bigger issue -- how to reach these children before they have made dangerous choices or to keep innocent children from becoming crime victims before they are even old enough to drive.

But in every community there are people for whom sitting around and waiting for someone to come up with a solution simply is not enough.

TRANZ Center founder Timothy Whitfield is just that sort of person.

He sees his mission not as standing in front of a congregation and preaching every Wednesday and Sunday, but as a calling to reach out to the children in the community, offering them a choice and a safe haven.

His mission is not perfect -- none ever are. But it is a step forward as the rest of the experts try to figure out what it will take to stem the tide of youth violence, teen pregnancy and drug use.

And if he even saves one child from making a destructive choice that will change his or her life forever, then he will legitimately be able to call his program a success.

These are the kinds of efforts that make a difference -- not the rallies, the parades or speeches.

And these are the kind of projects that deserve the community's support -- if we are serious about finding a solution and not just talking.

Published in Editorials on June 27, 2012 10:34 AM