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07:04 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 9, 2005
By BRENT FLYNN / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
Dare to Dream aims to inspire troubled kids to turn lives around
Growing up in a foster home in New York City, Jan Tennyson learned firsthand how hopeless life could be without a family, or even without feeling like someone cared about her well being and her future.
"From my personal experience, I know kids shouldn't have to grow up thinking they're a nobody," she said. "They need to know they're special and can make it."
That knowledge has guided her 18-year crusade to show at-risk children in foster homes and juvenile detention centers in Dallas that there is more to life than blighted urban streets, addiction and crime. She is the founder of Dare to Dream Children's Foundation, a nonprofit, faith-based organization that strives to stop destructive youth behavior through educational programs, recreation and mentoring.
Since its inception in 1987, Dare to Dream has reached out to more than 15,000 young people in group homes, shelters, detention facilities and orphanages, using a mix of positive reinforcement and Christian faith.
One of the mentors, Eric Calloway, had his own spiritual awakening while in jail five years ago. Homeless and addicted to drugs, he hit rock bottom before turning his life around, he said.
"I'm a living witness that things can get better," he said. "They are victims of their environment, same as me. I want to warn them about what they are up against and let them know things won't always be this way."
Taking the teens and young adults outside of their everyday existence is one of the program's main priorities – whether it's a riverboat tour, a first plane ride or simply taking youths to a nice restaurant and letting them order anything they want.
"We're getting them to dream and think out of the box," Ms. Tennyson said. "They think they have to live on the same street their whole lives. We want to teach them how to trust and not be afraid to step out of their comfort zone."
Obviously, for those in juvenile detention, a field trip is impossible. That's where the personal testimonials have the most effect. Mr. Calloway recalled one visit to a detention center where he mentioned what church he attended. Three months later, one of the teens in the audience showed up at the church with his mother.
"His mom told me when he got out he had changed, and he said he wanted to go to church and see me. Calloway said. "If I can reach just one kid, that's worth millions." |
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 Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Justice Carolyn Wright, member of Hamilton Park UMC, Dallas, will be the keynote speaker at the Dare to Dream Children’s Foundation breakfast Nov. 13 at 9:00 a.m. in the Performing Arts Center of Hillcrest Church in North Dallas.
Dare to Dream Children’s Foundation is marking 17 years of reaching out to improve the lives of youth tragically separated from families. Since 1987, this ministry has influenced the lives of more than 15,000 young people housed in often difficult situations in group homes, shelters, detention facilities, and orphanages.
Dare to Dream founder, Jan Tennyson states, “My own personal struggle as a child raised in the unstable foster care system in New York City was the catalyst that ignited a passion in me to create Dare to Dream.”
Both Justice Wright and Tennyson agree that youth coming out of the foster care system and the juvenile justice system are not prepared to enter the real world.
“The at-risk teens we work with are crippled because they have no idea what it means to be a healthy man or woman.” Tennyson said. “They are roaming the streets of our city with no direction in life. The breakdown of family values, fatherless homes, and the drug culture has contributed to the sad moral fiber of our young people.”
Tennyson emphasizes that Dare to Dream has stepped up to the front lines of this critical cause to combat the seemingly hopeless situation of the revolving door of youth detention centers. Enrichment sessions, role model mentors, recreational activities, and most of all, prayer, are the ingredients of what is happening right now to make a difference in the lives of these destitute youth.
Dare to Dream is planning to expand its territory and do more to be involved in the lives of the youth coming out of the foster care system, the youth on parole, as well as youth who just need a helping hand.
“We have a God-appointed task to assume the responsibility of equipping them to that end,” said Tennyson. “These are the fathers and mothers of tomorrow. They are the hope of our next generation. They need to see role models in action. That puts the ball in my court – and in yours.”
“We have a small window of opportunity to influence our youth in a positive way” stated Jan Tennyson. “Dare to Dream needs your help. Please take the time to educate, encourage, and mentor a youngster who could be a good parent, a teacher, a lawyer, or even the President of our nation.” |
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