Summer Recap '23

“I just want to thank Providence Road. We are very thankful for people coming to bad neighborhoods to help. The love they show these guys in the group is heartwarming to people in this community.”

— Jarvis (age 14)

CREATING SPACE FOR PURPOSE, PRACTICE,
COURAGE, AND UNDERSTANDING

PROVIDENCE ROAD SUMMER RECAP '23

THE JOURNEY

Confidence is contagious. It helps when others have it, and then seeing it, we start to think “I can do that”. Even though we stumble, this feeling of confidence and purpose leads us into the adventure of our lives and reveals the truth about who we are and what we are capable of. 

This is why childhood heroes play such a big role in our ability to pursue our future. Without seeing someone aim for something and achieve it, we tend to forget that we ourselves need to aim. We become “aimless”. 

With your support and encouragement, Providence Road has been showing up in the community since 2018, providing space for youth (3 afternoons a week) to step into purpose, practice, courage, and understanding. 

After 5 years we have so much to celebrate!

THE WORK

Our ability to aim at a goal (and achieve it) is directly proportional to the access we have to real heroes (people who are actively striving for something in their lives). For many of the youths that come to Providence Road, the pool of inspiration is quite small. 

The Providence Road staff and volunteers may not be heroes at a glance, but they are some of the few adults who regularly invite our youth into a greater purpose by providing opportunities to practice the (often overlooked) subtleties of serving others, getting along, being safe in our struggles, and embracing a culture of strong rather than tough.
 

We are so grateful to our staff and volunteers who showed up strong for our youth this summer!  

A tremendous effort!

THE YOUTH

This summer, we sent one of our senior members (CJ) to spend three weeks working on a camp service crew in Oregon. On his first solo trip out of state, CJ crushed the opportunity and came back expressing confidence and a new determination. 
 

Service ‘wakes’ CJ up, and to share this journey with him is a win, not just for CJ, but for the community and other Providence Road members.  CJ is modeling what Providence Road looks like outside Baton Rouge and stepping up to lead the culture of our youth. 

We celebrate CJ with you! 

MORE WINS

In 2021, the culture of Providence Road embraced a spirit of unity, and our group embarked on an academic journey. Each youth member felt safe enough to admit their lack of understanding when it came to reading and writing. The most striking revelation of the past summer was the remarkable surge in confidence. Through dedicated practice, our members started acknowledging their own aptitude to grasp concepts and communicate eloquently in writing.

This summer, we have been privileged to witness the sparks of ‘desire’ flicker as these young men take steps toward being interested in understanding what difficult passages mean in the reading of these famous books such as The Narrative of Fredrick Douglas, Treasure Island, and Robinson Crusoe.   

“This doesn’t make sense!”  Kyree’s exclamation captures the struggle many youths in North Baton Rouge face when they want to understand, but few have the space or are comfortable enough to make such a statement.  There were many such moments this summer where the youth of Providence Road decided to pursue understanding, and were willing to stay in such a struggle and find out that it is worth it.

THE SPARK

The spark of curiosity; “what does this mean”, is the same spark that unlocks the potential and capacity of the human spirit and awakens a desire to step into the unknown. 

For Providence Road Youth, this spark is an essential invitation to live out their true potential; more often than not, it is an invitation they have never received before. 

It’s hard to learn without that spark and even harder without the confidence to face the unfamiliar….

But when the spark is lit, change begins to take place, at home, at school, and in the community.  Below we share some prose from Kyree, (age 13) written during our Wednesday book club. 

Enjoy!

“Worthy of happening, working towards success.

Way over the horizon working to be the best.

Steppin with affirmation and mastering it along the way.

Gaining wisdom that would help me in a tremendous way.

Creating healthy boundaries that won’t leave my side.

Bringing happiness into my life no more darkness ever seen.

Dreams don’t happen unless you do.

Being confident that my life would be great

leaving all the dark thoughts behind.

Slowly being fueled up by what God wants Kyree to see,

life will be peaceful as long as you walk with me.

Face challenges and work with me.

and be in the biggest picture the world has ever seen.””

— Kyree (July 19, 2023)

THE SUMMER-Y

When youth like CJ and Kyree find someone who identifies their potential, takes the time to create opportunities for exploration, and provides a safe space to practice understanding, the entire community benefits.
 

With Over 75 youth impacted, 200 vacant lots cleaned up, 150 trips to the gym, a bunch of trail mix, water bottles, McDonald’s, more struggles with youth than you can imagine, thousands of words of affirmation, and many celebrations we are most thankful to be concluding our 5th year of Providence Road.

Your support for Providence Road makes these seemingly small choices, amount to “big steps” for our youth. The fateful decisions of going to bed early, not skipping class, staying focused, avoiding the clowns, and saving money, when put together, it’s huge.

This effort started with a desire to seek an understanding of the needs facing our North Baton Rouge Community. Today, we get to see these youth taking active steps toward their future and the future of Baton Rouge.

We celebrate the courage and success of Kyree and CJ, and all the other youth in Providence Road who stepped into a bigger story this summer with you! 

Your Support Matters!

If you want to join the struggle, reach out to us at providenceroad.jtf@gmail.com 

OR

join us as a monthly contributor!

To find out more about how your support is changing the trajectory of youth lives, reach out to us at providenceroad.jtf@gmail.com or contact our Program Director (Cole Erno) at 206-920-0826. 

A Great Effort: Love the Boot Week 23'

That's a ton of trash... literally!

Friends of Providence Road,

We had our first "Love the Boot Week" event last Tuesday and it was a huge success!’

Together, we removed 6,650 lbs of trash from North Baton Rouge!

In an hour and a half, our youth and volunteers collected over 3 tons of trash to be removed from the community.

While this was a one-off event for some, we continue to meet every Tuesday night to gather and support each other in the struggle. 

To date, Providence Road youth have removed an estimated 75 tons of trash and debris from the inner city.

Reach out to us at providenceroad.jtf@gmail.com to join the effort on Tuesday evenings and support our youth as they take ownership of their community. 

Time To Stretch

The Journey to Strong

A big part of expanding horizons for our youth looks like inviting them to share the road with great people in new environments. 

The mix of bringing them outside the familiarity of the neighborhood and into new territory puts them off balance. As we walk alongside them, they start to adjust, and we get to provide the balancing hand when things get hard. 

We’ve all been there before. Someone invites us to step into some unfamiliar territory (a new experience, a new book, a new flavor). We struggle to adjust, but with a little encouragement and trust, we soon realize, “Hey, this is the best.”

This summer, two Providence Road Youth, Kevin, and Jarroid (J’), had the chance to serve at Camp blessing in Brenham, TX, for five days as part of the dining hall crew. The camp experience,  centered around kids and adults with special needs, presented a unique opportunity for our youth to step into ‘strong’ for the sake of others and experience an entirely different culture. 

Camp Blessing,  an award-winning Christian summer camp ministry designed for children and adults with special needs (physical/developmental/intellectual disabilities), offers a week-long residential, barrier-free camp surrounding them with love, acceptance, and fun. 

At first look, our guys weren’t sold on the opportunity, complaining about sharing lodging with the other volunteers. However, after spending some time getting into the work, Kevin, who was unhappy about the lodging situation, came up to Cole Erno and said;

“Hey Cole, I don’t want to switch cabins anymore!” 

A win!

Being part of the crew and serving is hard work and what we love about hard work is it provides so many opportunities for our guys to gain distinction. As staff members, we get to model what vulnerability looks like in this environment offering a new approach to challenging situations.

During the week, J’ struggled with the apprehension of returning home. 

“This is my only getaway, and I don’t want to go back to baton rouge” 

This served as a reminder that, while getting out of town can produce incredible moments for change, the primary goal of Providence Road has always been supporting youth in their home communities. 

By coming alongside youth by providing a safe, adult support system, these youth, in turn, learn how to provide that safety to others. 

At the conclusion of the week, camp leaders expressed high praise for both Kevin and J’ saying that ‘they were the hardest workers they had seen all summer.’

A huge win for the community!

This is the invitation of Providence Road, and it serves as a reminder to us as adults that the act of being vulnerable with our own stories is the practice ground that leads to major victories in life. 

When we are willing to share the stuff that matters, relationships are changed, and we receive the benefits of community on a whole new level. 

Support opportunities for youth to get out of town

becoming a monthly contributor by clicking the link below!

Tough to Strong: Youth Spotlight (Kevin)

““I want my future!”
”

— Kevin from 2021

This month’s Youth Spotlight features Kevin.

Kevin on Service Project 2020

Kevin, has been rolling hard with Providence Road for over two years, and is growing up in the program. It’s a huge win for the community when young men step from the street life, and submit to the process offered by Providence Road.

The following pictures highlight Kevin’s journey with Providence Road. It’s the stuff these youth need, taking them from ‘tough to strong.’ Tough is necessary to survive on the streets of North BR, but strong is for others, and when you step into strong, it wakes you up.

Kevin's First Day with Providence Road

Service project in the South

Service project in the North '20

Fun day at the pool '21

Gutting a house after Ida

Service project in the North '21

Service project in the North '22

Service project '21

Book club '22

This is Providence Road!

Your support makes this story possible!

PR Team!

Support more youth like Kevin by joining in the struggle with Providence Road

Cathedrals of Beauty

Reclaiming A Brighter Future For Baton Rouge

by Marie Constantin & Erik Sampson

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies”

— Mother Teresa

---

This is what young men taking ownership of their future and community
looks like!

(watch the 1 min video)

Neglected, abandoned, abused, and thought to be unworthy… for decades, this is how Baton Rouge viewed Capitol Lake.

While Hooded Mergansers flew in from the Ohio River Valley and Ring-necked ducks came down from Alaska and Maine and the Great Lakes to winter on her shores, Baton Rouge didn’t recognize this jewel and even turned a blind eye.  Meanwhile, the untreated storm drains from the Northdale canal dumped an average of 41 bags of litter per month on her shores, making the lake too unsightly to visit.

For 16 months, the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition organized the longest non-stop cleanup operation Capitol Lake has ever seen, picking up a whopping 1,200 bags of litter from her shores. Six hundred of the bags were pulled out of the wetland area north of the lake.

Before

After

When Coach J’ (Co-Founder of Providence Road) learned of the efforts Marie Constantin and the Stormwater Coalition were putting into the seemingly insurmountable project, he was inspired to join their struggle.

Considering the two organizations’ efforts in the community, it’s hard to miss the parallel of values that act as the core motivation of both the Stormwater Coalition and Providence Road.

Neglected, abandoned, and with no advocates for their true strength, the youth of Providence Road are learning what it takes to reclaim their neighborhoods through service and taking ownership.  Providence Road is stepping into every opportunity to connect these youth with the people in this city who share the value for reclaiming potential. 
 

“It was a perfect match,” said Constantin. “They wanted to teach their guys that when you pull together in teams, you help your community, and you get a lot done, and we needed volunteers.”
 

“What made the partnership perfect is that we could give back to the guys by showing them how adults solve difficult problems,”

The shared mission of the StormWater Coalition and Providence Road became even more evident as, week after week, the youth of Providence Road showed up to aid in the effort to transform the landscape of Capitol Lake.

“To date, our guys, working with Ms. Marie, have rolled out 328 tires, removed two toilets, a couch, numerous large items, 50 bags of litter, and hauled two boats up out of a ravine,”

—Cole Erno, (Director of Programs at Providence Road)

Additionally, on May 12th, the youth of Providence Road joined Constantin on a trip to the State Legislature to meet Senator Franklin Foil. The Coalition proposed a resolution to study funding sources for capturing litter out of stormwater before it ruins a watershed. Thanks to Senator Foil who sponsored the bill, the resolution was successfully passed. 

“Because of the research our Coalition did in Florida with how they solved their litter-in-the watershed problems, I knew we could easily intercept the 41 bags per month if we could convince leaders we needed equipment.  Meanwhile, the guys could participate in the cleanup in the surrounding industrial area surrounding the lake, and when we get the litter capturing equipment, they would be part of solving a decades-old problem,”  Constantin says. 

“These guys are along for a wonderful ride with a front-row seat on how you solve problems.  What I love is that they see me on Tuesdays dressed in jeans picking up litter with them, and then they get to see me and the team advocate for a fix." 

The symbolism of seeing youth from North Baton Rouge take ownership of Capital Lake is hard to miss. Furthermore, the action of joining the Stormwater Coalition at the capitol offers a glimpse into the potential impact felt when the most neglected of our community are empowered to address the most abused areas of our city. 

Province Road’s youth, much like the hidden gems of our city, represent the hidden opportunity for Baton Rouge to have a brighter future. A future where our city’s greatest resources are both protected and sustained, like the ‘Cathedrals of Beauty’ they are. 

To read more about the vital work of Marie and her team at the Stormwater Coalition follow the link to www.louisianastormwater.com

The Benefits

How Showing up in hard places is changing lives

By Erik Sampson

““There are awards, and there are rewards. An award is something others give you because you did something meaningful to them. A reward is something you get to receive because it’s meaningful to you. Seeing the change in these young guys is a huge reward for me!” ”

— Coach Dave

At 100 North 14th Streat on Thursday nights, tucked just under North Blvd, is a local gym that hosts Providence Road youth for a myriad of activities, including a weekly boxing lesson. 

“When they first came here over a year ago, they were always getting into it with each other, fighting at the drop of a hat.” says Coach Dave, Boxing Coach with the BREC recreation program.

Humans don’t mind hardship, in fact, they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary. It's time for that to end.

-Sebastian Junger

Coach Dave has been a witness to the work of Providence Road over the past year and represents the power of being part of the struggle. 

“I am these kids. I lived their story.”

The biggest difference between Coach Dave’s story and the stories played out in the lives of these youth is that for the first time in a long while, these youth have a collective of individuals gathered around them. A team of volunteers, staff, and donors committed to seeing them succeed. 

But the beauty of this story is that impact is felt on both sides. Providence Road starts with us, with the journey we all take to discover a place of belonging, understanding, and affirmation. It’s the path of restoration we seek when the wheels fall off and life gets hard. 

We might be showing up for these youth, and at times it feels like an uphill battle. The reality, however, is that the battle we actually face in showing up each week is a challenge to our faith. 

We have to battle the statements that rise up inside us from our own loss of hope. “I’ve seen this story before and it doesn’t end well”, “What difference can I actually make?”, “Surely, these youth need more than someone showing up once a week.”

We tend to disqualify ourselves before we even get to the hill… 

I have seen this in my own journey with Providence Road. Showing up, feeling overwhelmed, and not being sure that any good can come from it. But after a year, I can say with confidence that these young men’s lives have changed. 

I came to a boxing session a year ago, when Providence Road had just started the weekly program. What I saw was a coach who had little hope for these youth and youth who just wanted to fight with each other. 

A year later, there is a camaraderie that crosses over from coach to student, and vice versa.

“I only contribute a few times per week, but when these guys come up and gather around me in the ring, talking calmly and using their words. That’s a huge deal and a big difference from a year ago.” says Coach Dave. 

This is a bi-product of joining the struggle. We may start out thinking it’s about serving youth, but the reflection of growth in our own lives continues to demonstrate that Providence Road is much more than adults showing youth how to live. It’s about discovering the power of community and what happens to our hearts when we are willing to show up and struggle with each other. 

“We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest.”

— Orison Swett Marden

It’s generally accepted that with hard work comes great benefits. The challenge is seeing them in the midst of chaos or moments of intense exhaustion. In those moments, having someone who is in the fight with us can make all the difference. Being able to look to the right or left and say, “I’m not alone”, can break the barrier of disbelief in ways that no incentive or motivational speech ever will. It can inspire hope in the most challenging situations. 

Who knows what comes from here, but I can say from a distance, that lives have already been changed for the better and that is something no one can put a price tag on.