A life redeemed and redirected
Corion was with the wrong friend at the wrong place at the wrong time. A gun was pulled out. A man was robbed. Police were called. A 16-year-old teenager in Shreveport was now in trouble and arrested; charged with being an accessory to an armed robbery. Looking at 18 months in juvenile detention and who knows what else, but then three men stepped in: A concerned court-appointed attorney, a caring youth leader with Community Renewal, and a judge who trusted these two men to help Corion. Corion’s life could have taken a turn for the worse – school dropout, repeated crime, chronic unemployment, and the list goes on. However, now Corion is employed, set to graduate high school in May, involved in our Friendship House programs, learning to weld, and soon to enroll at Northwest Louisiana Technical College.
“These men are such a blessing. They made me feel like I had someone I could depend on and I didn’t have that before.”
“These men are such a blessing. They made me feel like I had someone I could depend on and I didn’t have that before.”
We thank attorney Jim Madison, Friendship House coordinator Emmitt Welch, and Judge Paul Young for seeing the potential in this young man. Thank you also to our Friendship House business sponsor, Red Ball Oxygen and Alex Kennedy, for helping to make this outreach possible. “These men are such a blessing. They made me feel like I had someone I could depend on and I didn’t have that before,” said Corion. “They showed me there’s more to life than the bad things I see in the neighborhoods. I have a lot of hope for my future now.” Corion says of Mr. Madison, “He’s like a granddad to me,” and of Mr. Emmitt, “He believed in me and showed me a better way.” Madison said it was a big reward for him to get involved. “He has a much better future than he would have by being at the Friendship House and having a father figure like Emmitt.” Corion’s story is one of redemption, connection, caring partners, and hope. It’s a story of renewal. And there are many other Corions walking our local streets today; young men and women packed with potential but getting lost in the environment around them and choosing a life of crime. There is also huge economic impact with Corion’s story. According to the Louisiana Center for After School Learning (LaCAL), a juvenile in the criminal justice system can cost up to $150,000 per year while a quality afterschool program costs approximately $1,500 per year per student.
A juvenile in the criminal justice system can cost up to $150,000 per year while a quality afterschool program costs approximately $1,500 per year per student.
A juvenile in the criminal justice system can cost up to $150,000 per year while a quality afterschool program costs approximately $1,500 per year per student.
LaCAL goes on to say that for every $1.00 invested in high quality afterschool programs tax payers save $3.00, and even more if crime reduction is factored in. And according to the Alliance for Education, Civic Enterprises, 75% of all crimes in the U.S. are committed by school dropouts. Thank God, three caring men and a generous business partner, Corion will not be a dropout but graduated from high school in May 2019 and is learning a trade to become a productive citizen of our community!
