Melbourne program keeps children in school and off the streets
As an 8-year-old, Jarrad Baker was a regular at the DOCK, the faith-based after-school safe haven operated by Brevard Neighborhood Development Coalition in Melbourne’s Booker T. Washington Neighborhood, one of the poorest areas in the county.
His mom registered him for the free program because he was struggling in school. Mom knew best, and with the help of volunteer mentors, Jarrad improved his schoolwork.
Jarrad continued at the DOCK until he turned 13. At that time, the DOCK was aimed at elementary school children, so Jarrad drifted away, drawn towards friends who hung out on the streets. He readily admits he was getting involved in negative activities, doing poorly in school, threatening his promising football career and hurting his mom.
Teen center coming to Booker T. Washington neighborhood
At 15, the young man decided to turn his life around, thanks in part to DOCK director Trevor Howard, who suggested Jarrad return to the DOCK and volunteer to assist the younger students.
“The Jesus and Me program caught my eye, and I got involved in helping the younger kids with their homework,” he said.
The young man with the infectious smile has since become a grassroots ambassador for the DOCK, recruiting several of his friends.
By helping others, Jarrad also helped himself, turning his grades around from a 2.0 GPA to a 3.6. He hopes to play college football and has plans to become a physical therapist after college.
By the end of the year, Jarrad and his DOCK pals will have a teen center to call their own. The new building, adjacent to the original DOCK, will serve the program’s exploding teen population generated by Howard’s targeted efforts, which spiked the DOCK’s teen population from nine students to more than 50 in just a year.
“This was wonderful, especially since it was bringing teens off the streets at a highly susceptible age, but it resulted in forcing a periodic awaiting list,” said Lynn Brockwell-Carey, BNDC’s executive director.
“At times, we have not been able to accommodate all of the youth who wanted to attend the DOCK.”
Juggling the elementary school and teen programs has been difficult in the original 3,500-square-foot DOCK building, but the situation will change when the new building, made possible by donations and in-kind services, opens in November.
New DOCK director all about the kids
“The teens are ecstatic for a place of their own,” said Brockwell-Carey.
The space will provide opportunities for the teens to sharpen the critical skills and knowledge they will need to succeed. They will be able to participate in Kaplan ACT prep courses made possible through the Balda Family Foundation, take workshops on application and resume preparation and job interview readiness. Some of these sessions and regular academic tutoring will be led by the Black Heritage Council, a group of volunteers from Patrick Air Force Base.
Of course, there will be plenty of fun magnets, too, with a music studio, a pool table, computers and dance classes offered courtesy of Dance Arts Centre.
More:Habitat developing 15 homes in Melbourne's Booker T. Washington neighborhood
To raise additional money for the program, BNDC is hosting Carnival at the Creek, an adults-only fair on Sunday, Oct. 22, at picturesque Up the Creek Farms in Valkaria. The organization hopes to raise $70,000 with this upscale version of all the favorite carnival foods and vintage carnival games with not-your-usual carnival prizes, such as restaurant gift certificates and collector wines.
The Blue Cypress Bluegrass Band, luxe carnival fare, small-batch whiskey tasting, specialty cocktails and a drawing for a seven-night Royal Caribbean cruise from any Florida port round out the evening.
In addition to the DOCK, the primarily volunteer-based BNDC operates Greater Heights, an affordable apartment community for low-income working families and the elderly of the Booker T. Washington Neighborhood, and Evans Center, a multi-use project that will serve the residents of the Powell Subdivision of Northeast Palm Bay and Southeast Melbourne with a fresh food market, a Brevard Health Alliance clinic and youth job training.
“BNDC is changing lives,” said board treasurer Becky Cavallucci.
“We see children who plan to complete their education, instead of becoming part of the drug culture," she said. "We see families living in safe, affordable housing, which allows them to work and to see a brighter future for their children. We are excited to see how lives will change as we work with people in the Powell subdivision to provide a grocery store in their food desert.”
Carnival at the Creek
What: A fundraiser for the Brevard Neighborhood Development Coalition
When: 4 to 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 22
Where: Up the Creek Farms, 3590 Valkaria Road, Valkaria
Tickets: $150 per guest. Sponsorships start at $500. Raffle tickets for the cruise are $25 each or five for $100.
Info: bndcserve.org/carnival.
Sonnenberg is a Melbourne-based freelance writer.