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A pilot program to support at-risk youth has been launched in Mercer County, New Jersey. The county awarded a $500,000 grant to Salvation and Social Justice, a Trenton-based nonprofit, to operate the Restorative Justice Hub, a center offering mentorship and nonviolent resolution training for young people.

“It’s a safe place for kids to come where they can feel respected, relax, get mentorship, work on fitness and problem solving,” said Coleta Walker, director of the Restorative Justice Hub. “We currently have 25 to 30 kids from Trenton … and we anticipate that number to double when school starts again,” she said.

The Hub also serves minors enrolled in at-risk youth programs offered by the Mercer County Division of Youth Services.

Prior to July 1, the nonprofit Creative Change Counseling had operated The Hub.

Solving problems without violence

“We’re basically giving young people a place to be heard,” she said. “We’re providing a place where young people can work on their disputes. Whether that’s internal, with their family, friends, it’s a better way to solve problems than violence.”

Mykeema Ford is The Hub’s coordinator. She oversees a space where kids can release stress, styled as the Peace Room.

“They can read a book, listen to music, just wind down and take a mental break,” she said. “We also use the Peace Room for restorative justice circles, conflict resolution circles.”

Ford said at the beginning of each circle discussion, the group thanks their ancestors, and each participant does a “check-in,” with a word or brief description of how they are feeling.

“Then we get down to the root of the problem. Everyone has time to talk,” she said.

“By the end of the circle we get to the point where everyone is on the same page, hopefully, so we bring it together. I’m big on family. We all come in, huddle up and say ‘family’ on three, so together we’re all family.”

The Hub also offers in-house mental health assistance with professional therapists, fitness classes and a multipurpose game room. Lunch and dinner are also served on site.

Ford emphasized that the hub helps to keep young people off the streets.

“A lot of kids have nowhere to hang out at in Trenton right now. There’s not a lot of places, so The Hub is a safe place to come to,” she said. “We don’t want to force it on the kids, like ‘You have to come here.’ They come here; they can do whatever they want to do that day. We serve pizza on Fridays. And a lot of kids, they don’t have food at home, and they look forward to coming to The Hub and having good, decent meals.”

Walker said that during dinner, The Hub shuts down every room but the cafeteria.

“In the cafeteria we provide a family-like atmosphere,” she said. “We cook meals together. It’s about trust. If you have a young person that trusts you, that goes a long way.”

Dontae Thomas, a program coordinator for The Hub, is a member of Salvation and Social Justice’s Trenton Restorative Street Team, which intervenes to de-escalate conflicts before they become violent.

The team assists people who are unlikely to seek help through traditional social service agencies, he said.

“Kids listen to us cause they know that we know where they’re at,” said Thomas, who was formerly incarcerated.

“Many of them don’t know about positive resolution. We teach them how to deal with their anger, how to control themselves and speak with people first to reach a solution instead of reacting with violence.”

He said he wants to help young people avoid the same mistakes he made.

“Just because we see certain things in front of our doorsteps and in our life, it doesn’t mean we have to become that,” Thomas said.

Spreading the word

Walker said most young people find out about The Hub by word of mouth.

“Friends tell another friend, and the word gets out,” she said.

Gianna Garrett, 18, works at The Hub and is a member of Salvation and Social Justice’s Junior Street Team.

“We go out in the community and try to bring people to The Hub and help with anything they need,” she said, “like talk to them, feed them, play games with them and make sure they’re okay.”

Some kids come in nervous and distant, Garrett said.

“You’ve got to give them space, but they come around,” she added.

Junior Street Team member Jathusan Reid, 17, said he helps to recruit newcomers and shows them around The Hub.

“I just love making people feel great about themselves and uplifting people,” he said.

Reid also helps to enforce The Hub’s rules.

“Cuss words are not tolerated,” he said. “This young generation, they do tend to cuss a lot. So if they cuss, they have to do 10 pushups, jumping jacks or squats. Nothing too harsh. But if it does get out of hand, we have to send them home.”

Garrett said The Hub has a lot to offer.

“It helps kids that have problems at home, that need someone to listen to their situations. We’re always here for them,” she said. “I used to be here and feel sad and stuff, but now it’s really fun.”

‘We’re trying to give them hope’

Walker said a major focus is to reach kids before they get in trouble with the law.

“I had a young person say to me, you know, ‘I won’t live to be 21, probably,’” she said. “It’s hard to get someone to think about their future if they think they’re going to die in a couple of years. This is a preventative model. We’re trying to give them hope.”

Reid said he believes open conversation is vital.

“If you need to talk about your conflict, you come in this room,” he said, referring to the Peace Room, “have a one-on-one debrief about anything that’s going on, and then we’ll see if we can move on.”

Ford said in the coming months The Hub will also offer music and cooking classes and guidance on how to create a resume.

“How to look for a job, how to prepare for an interview, how you’ve got to dress, certain questions you’ve got to answer, and how to speak to someone during a job interview — we want to help them with every aspect that we can,” she said.

“My heart is with the youth, trying to make Trenton a place to be outside and not hear gunshots,” she said. “We want to make it great again.”