Monday, March 11, 2019

Without Helping The Youth Of Chicago Society As A Whole Will Suffer

By Amy Meyer


There used to be a time when communities were close. People cared for each other and everyone was expected to take part in community affairs and activities. Those days are gone, unfortunately and people now seem to care only about themselves. So many people live lonely lives amid crowds of people and it is especially young people that suffer from the lack of a true community spirit. Thankfully, there are organizations that offer programs aiming at helping the youth of Chicago.

The family unit, which is the cornerstone of a healthy society, has always played a vital role in helping young people to remain on course and to grow up as responsible adults that can take their place in society. Unfortunately, so many families are dysfunctional. The divorce rate keeps rising and busy parents have no time to spend with their children. As a result, young people look for acceptance and direction elsewhere.

Unemployment is at an all time high and this has a profound effect upon young people. Many of them drop out of school prematurely because they have no hope of ever finding work. Thus they render themselves unemployable because they have no skills to offer to potential employers. There are many organizations that have seen this need and that offer skills training to youngsters.

Young people are impressionable and they can easily fall into the traps of more experienced people that will convince them that they are worthless and that they have no future. In the process, they often become depressed and experience anxiety. They have no sense of self worth and they may even become destructive. Some organizations offer counseling to these youngsters, if only they can convince them to attend.

The other problem related to young people adrift is the fact that so many of them become addicted to drugs and alcohol In their desperation they think that these substances can help them cope. There are some organizations that offer rehabilitation programs but it is extremely difficult to convince addicted young people that they need help. Even among those that do get help, the success rate is very low.

One of the main problems experienced by well meaning organizations aiming to help young people is the fact that it is so difficult to reach them. This is often because so many of them are homeless and so they drift from place to place. That is why some organizations have set up places of safety where young people can sleep and get a decent meal. Such places allow other organizations to reach them.

The sad fact is that very few young people in desperate need can be reached and helped. There are just too few resources. Too few people volunteer their services, offer donations or become involved. Many organizations trying to help young people are continually short of everything. This means that only a fraction of those in desperate need can be reached and assisted.

Young people will determine the future and if society fails its youngsters in need, the future itself is at stake. One can only hope that every single person and every authority will do more to help those organizations dedicated to young people. It is, in fact, the duty of society to care.




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