Cleanup kick starts hope to
provide positive outlet in Woodland

WOODLAND — A non-profit made of Woodland residents and others is working hard to get a youth program up and running here.

The group, “A Village in Action,” received approval recently at a town commissioner’s meeting to use the old town hall at 300 Spruce St. with the group taking care of the utilities.

“This board has given you its blessing,” said Mayor Jay Jenkins at the meeting. “I think this could be a real positive for the town.”

Last Saturday, several persons were cleaning and preparing the building for use. Taminika Whitaker said the group plans to have educational and recreational programs after school and over the summer. “Each room will be used for something,” she said.

Laquita Taylor said the goal is to get young people off of the streets. “Let them know they can be someone. We are trying to give them a positive place to do positive things,” Taylor said. “And teach them to be responsible adults.”

Both women have a vested interest in seeing the program succeed. Whitaker is a mother of five and Taylor of four.

“We are coming in here with nothing and may have to go at it out of our own pockets but we’re going into it full force. We’re going to make it work,” Taylor said.

Some of their plans include tutoring, speakers and recreational events. “We’ve got big plans,” Whitaker said. “We don’t have limits on what we are trying to do.”

Woodland Police Chief Jesse Stevens said the name, A Village in Action, came from the African proverb — “It takes a village to raise a child.”

“The whole idea is to create as many activities to draw in the interest of the young people in order to deter them from gangs and keep them out of trouble.”

Things are progressing well, he said, and an opening date hasn’t been set.

“We would like to have something in place before kids get out of school (for the summer),” he said.

From Stevens’ experience working in Georgia and Orlando, Fla., he said he recognized the need of activities to help deter kids from destructive behavior. “In Woodland, there is nothing to do,” Taylor said. And, Stevens added, it was a matter of recognizing the need and acting on it.

In the next few weeks, the group will be cleaning the inside of the building, making some cosmetic repairs and cleaning up the grounds.

“We want to start with the academics first and as an incentive provide other activities,” Stevens said.

The group is partnering with Creek Development Corporation (CDC), a non-profit organization of Second Baptist Creeksville Church in Murfreesboro. It has leased Rich Square W.S. Creecy School and is using it as a community center in Rich Square.

Other citizens are putting together a soccer team. Stevens and one of his police officers will teach martial arts.

“We are looking for someone to instruct the kids in dance,” he said. “There will be a host of activities that we will put in place.

Sheila Everette, of Woodland, was out helping to clean last Saturday.

“I have kids and they don’t have anything to do,” she said. “This will keep them from being in trouble if they have an alternative.”

Everette encouraged the community to get involved. “As adults, we have to show our kids that they don’t have to be products of their environment,” she said. “We as adults should help them see this.”

Youth see poverty all around them, she added, and see drug dealers and no jobs. “We’ll give them a reason to believe.”

Whitaker said the group is asking for help, any services that can be given, she said.

For more information, call Stevens at 252-396-3360, Whitaker at 252-578-0751, Taylor at 252-287-4011 or Antwyan Taylor at 252-642-4438.