Operation Safe Streets (working title)
Posted 03-04-2013 at 12:04 PM by jonahm740
So as I was driving to a client's home for a session last week and blasting pusicfer at irresponsibly loud levels I began to think about what I do as an event host and the stage that I am blessed to have as far as reaching an audience of players and all around awesome people and I got to thinking....what's the use of having a stage if you don't do good with it.
I started thinking of Op: Hope and Tyler and his mother. I started thinking of how an act of giving back to someone changed my life. As I was jamming out an idea struck me, one that I wanted to talk to the community about and get your input on.
I work in an area that has been ravaged by substance abuse and for those who don't know that is what I do as a profession, a substance abuse counselor. I see the youth of my county struggle with things to do and finding ways to pass the time that don't involve getting blitzed and stealing copper. I am linked in to a lot of community organizations locally and I want to reach out to the Sherrif's department and local high schools as well as local and other Ohio fields to help encourage at risk youth to get into a game that helps kids find a sober alternative to spend their weekends and learn some camaraderie and leadership.
What are your thoughts? Comments? Opinions? I'm interested in hearing them.
I started thinking of Op: Hope and Tyler and his mother. I started thinking of how an act of giving back to someone changed my life. As I was jamming out an idea struck me, one that I wanted to talk to the community about and get your input on.
I work in an area that has been ravaged by substance abuse and for those who don't know that is what I do as a profession, a substance abuse counselor. I see the youth of my county struggle with things to do and finding ways to pass the time that don't involve getting blitzed and stealing copper. I am linked in to a lot of community organizations locally and I want to reach out to the Sherrif's department and local high schools as well as local and other Ohio fields to help encourage at risk youth to get into a game that helps kids find a sober alternative to spend their weekends and learn some camaraderie and leadership.
What are your thoughts? Comments? Opinions? I'm interested in hearing them.
Total Comments 17
Comments
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Yes to these things.Posted 03-04-2013 at 01:04 PM by Sky 
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I concur, great idea.
Posted 03-04-2013 at 06:49 PM by Carbon
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i have family in the Sheriffs Dept if you need help with this let me know and i can see they will help out.
Posted 03-04-2013 at 07:53 PM by Preacher
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Awesome preacher thanks!
Posted 03-04-2013 at 08:58 PM by jonahm740
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This sounds awesome.
Posted 03-05-2013 at 02:30 PM by Arrow
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Hey brother, im trying to do the same exact thing in stark county as well. I commend you greatly sir on what you want to accomplish. If you would like to talk further about things, possibly bounce some ideas back and forth shoot me a pm, I'd love to talk and hear more of what you had in mind.
Posted 03-06-2013 at 11:19 AM by 330_deadbolt
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I'd love to help out with an event like this.
Posted 03-09-2013 at 02:20 PM by Panda
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Would love to help
Posted 03-10-2013 at 01:36 PM by OverLord
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Sounds like an amazing idea Jonah, if you need any advice or expertise that's within my lane - I'd be happy to help.
Posted 03-11-2013 at 09:54 PM by Sparky
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sounds like a great idea. i would definitely try to go to an event to support this.
Posted 03-15-2013 at 08:21 PM by airsoft junkie
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Sounds like you have the right idea
I've worked with a lot of kids that come from the same background that would love something like we do. Just to feel accepted by a bunch of older guys teaching them how to live. One conversation we have with them could drastically change their lives for the better.Posted 03-16-2013 at 09:11 PM by alecmclovin
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Some weekly or bimonthly airsoft games could change some of these kids' lives. Make sure you stress the camaraderie and leadership part, rather than the part that will come off to them as "dress up and play time for grown men."
I think a lot of objective games would be the thing to do here...Posted 03-19-2013 at 09:14 PM by RyeBread
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Operation Hope was my very first airsoft event and when ever I tell people about it they can never believe that a group of airsofters were able to do so much. I think this is an amazing idea.
Posted 03-25-2013 at 10:37 AM by Ultheran
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Jonah........
Great Idea and i think it would work lets face it most kids (and I say kids because i have children older than most of them) crave structure and guidance something that is sometimes missing in their lives........I would volunteer to help if you get something like this going.........i coached baseball alot of years and had my fair share of (at risk youth)..........fill there minds with creative hobbies and they won't stray (in theory)........Posted 04-17-2013 at 09:26 AM by stonewall
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Thank you for being so involved in your community, I have watched my hometown spirel into nothing but drugs, violence, and thefts. The youth in my town have no outlet no programs to reach out to them before it's to late. It's people like you, the ones who truly care that make the biggest impact.
Posted 04-24-2013 at 11:02 AM by MohawkWarrior
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I think this is a great idea. My hometown has fallen to drugs in recent years. I am willing to help you in any way possible. I could try local buisness's to help in donations, or something setup to help get this rolling.
Just let me know what I can do to help.Posted 06-13-2013 at 07:27 AM by Bain
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I know this is a fairly old blog, but I'm just browsing around AO right now.
Jonah, through brief conversations I've mentioned that I'm a recovering drug addict myself.
I am blessed to be able to say I have almost 4 years clean now thanks to FPPD, Glenbeigh IOP, and the 12 step program of NA.
I REALLY think that this is a WONDERFUL idea. I may be late and this may have been started already, but if not I'd like to revive this dead topic.
I live in Cleveland, and while it may be a suburb of the city, these things do spread vastly into the better surrounding neighborhoods. Lakewood, for example, has LOTS of fights and bike thefts. Fairview park, where I live, well, I know what I use to do, can't imagine kids being terribly different nowadays.
Cleveland itself, kids get **** regularly. The other day my friends where driving through and saw a gruesome crime scene that police had just arrived at where a man was shot and his blood pooled around him on the ground.
The kid who got shot for the airsoft gun, regardless of anybody's opinions, could have been avoided on many different levels.
The two junkies who got gunned down after a high speed chase, was a problem that's caused a lot of issues in the community.
All in all, there's issues in every city, regardless of where you're from. These communities need our help. Help from people who understand what it's like and can help them get through it.
Jonah, I'd like to thank you for what you do in your profession. We, addicts, need people like you who genuinely care about people and communities.
All in all, as another said, let me know what I can do to help.
Thank you.Posted 07-25-2015 at 06:47 AM by Kishi
