How one Fort Worth organization is helping kids stay ‘on the right path’ in life
Fort Worth was represented by four young people from the Morningside neighborhood at a national youth summit this month that promoted leadership and positive community change. They represented a Fort Worth organization that provides mentorship and development to children who may come from challenging environments.
The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues held its National PAL Youth Leadership and Mentor Summit from July 9 to 12 in Arlington, Virginia. Youth leaders ages 6 to 18 participated in workshops and discussions, and heard presentations on topics from drug prevention to human trafficking.
Masoka Peter was one of the Fort Worth young people who attended the event. She said she has found membership in the Tarrant County Unity 360 PAL chapter to be beneficial.
Peter, 14, lives in the Park Terrace apartments in the Morningside neighborhood, where, she said, there is not much for youth her age to do. Peter applied for the PAL program last year after volunteers came to her apartment complex, and she began last September as a co-mentor to younger children in the program.
Her experience has helped her overcome shyness and social anxiety and built self-confidence as she has met and interacted with other youth.
“It’s really a place to grow and expand yourself, and open up to new people,” Peter said. “Because we have activities, tasks, everything like that to learn, grow, just meet new people and expand your feelings, and express yourself there.”
There are over 300 National PAL chapters across the country serving over 2 million young people annually, said Chris Hill, CEO of the National PAL.
“Our goal is to create a great relationship between law enforcement and the youth and to provide kids an opportunity to have a mentor that can help them to keep them on the right path,” Hill said.
The Southside Hornets Athletic Association was established in 1975 by the current president Patrick Brown. Funded by the National PAL, the Crime Control and Prevention District and the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, the organization empowers children and families through sports, mentoring, tutoring, theater and a parental engagement program.
The organization serves up to 400 youth and includes 20 youth in the PAL chapter it chartered last year. Mentors can be police officers, community members, and even middle school and high school participants. The program operates after school at Briscoe Elementary School and the International Newcomers Academy.
Brown emphasizes that his organization includes troubled kids who just need to be understood better and are often excluded from other programs.
Helping children explore new opportunities
LaTasha Ireland, Brown’s daughter, is a volunteer for the organization who last year started to recruit youth in the Park Terrace apartments. The apartments are in the Morningside neighborhood in the 76104 ZIP code, which has the lowest life expectancy in the state due to a lack of access to health care, transportation and health insurance, among other factors. Ireland said the high crime rate in Park Terrace and lack of activities for youth motivated her to help children there explore new opportunities.
Ireland took youth from the PAL chapter who live in the Park Terrace apartments to the event in Virginia. In addition to Peter, others who attended were Siem Ghebrelibanos, Mouhannad Issa and Dominique Lusambya. They participated in workshops and presentations on topics including psychological first aid, social media, and cybersecurity. The group also traveled to Washington, D.C., a first for all the youth, and saw the Washington Monument and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
Ireland, a 20-year Air Force veteran, was a member of the Southside Hornets Athletic Association cheer team when she was a girl. After retiring in 2022, she came back to Fort Worth to give back to her community, she said. She says the people in neighborhoods like Morningside are proud and resilient, even though many have experienced trauma.
A core philosophy to the organization’s approach is based on the acronym UNITY: “Understanding the Needs in Today’s Youth.” Ireland said organizations that want to help young people need to create an environment to uplift them.
“Every time we start our meeting, we always start with understanding the needs of today’s youth, because we want to make sure that we are abreast of what’s going on and stay in focus of what’s going on today,” Ireland said
