THE BRONX (PIX11) — With a surge in shootings in some neighborhoods, one nonprofit is working non-stop to help curb the violence.
Youth Justice Network is equipping a bus with a team of formerly incarcerated men and women with real life experience, compassion and resources. The men and women are ready to help.
Tyquan Strother, a 21-year-old Bronx resident looking for a job, said he needs help. Strother is meeting with a team of outreach specialists from Youth Justice Network.
Instead of being in an office, Youth Justice Network has a table on the sidewalk and they meet with people on a bus. On the bus are Michael Lauture and Jermaine Ferguson. Both are formerly incarcerated and now on a mission to help guide other young men like them get their lives back on track. It’s part of a program started last year, called Shifting Gears.
Four days a week, they hit the streets and neighborhoods in four different boroughs. Sometimes they say young people may need money, something to eat, help getting a job, or just a safe place to be for a while. They follow up with mentorship, educational opportunities, court advocacy, and career development.
Organizers only have one bus, but they hope to expand their fleet so they can have one bus for each New York City borough.
If you want to know where the shifting gears bus will be next, go to their Instagram or their website.
