Markeshia Ricks Photo
Elijah Joyner didn’t have an interest in much. But when he bumped into Navy veteran James Roy, who had come to his school to talk about the Veterans Empowering Teens Through Support, or VETTS program, he was sold.
Now, the 15-year-old Hyde School student has his sights set on an NFL career, or being a gynecologist.
Markeshia Ricks Photo
The VETTS program matches military veterans like Roy with at-risk youth like Elijah to provide mentoring and one-on-one relationship building. Thanks to a $30,000 grant from the state Department of Veterans Affairs, the city will be able to serve more students like Elijah and hire more veterans like Roy for a program that Commissioner Sean Connelly (pictured) believes is a model for not only the state, but the nation.
Roy, VETTS mentor, said Elijah is a natural leader, and it’s been his job to channel the teen’s skill in a positive direction. Elijah got to show off those skills at a recent VETTS Teen Summit, where Roy said he really let his personality shine through.
“He was very enthusiastic and wanted to do something different with his life than what he was seeing,” Roy said.
In addition to providing reliable, adult mentors for the students, the program provides jobs for veterans like Roy, who had previously been on the verge of homelessness.
Connelly stopped by City Hall Thursday to personally put a check in Mayor Toni Harp’s hands that will allow the VETTS program to expand — helping about 40 local at-risk teens instead of 25. (Read more about Connelly’s last visit to the city to champion VETTS here.)
Harp said that because of VETTS, “young people have a chance to float ideas with an adult, young people can learn from the experiences of an adult.”
“In turn,” she added, “the adults can see how their experience and acquired knowledge can be useful to others.”
New Haven Public Schools Superintendent Garth Harries said the program is seeing great results and the expansion means more opportunities to “connect and engage our youth. This is a real gift to the students and New Haven.”
City Youth Services Director Jason Bartlett called the VETTS program a major part of another important program that addresses at-risk youth and youth violence: Youth Stat.
“It might not be politically correct to say this, but the average Joe is not someone that we want here,” he said. “That’s not who we want working with a gang affiliated youth. We need a special kind of person to do this kind of work and we can think of no one better than our veterans returning to the civilian world, looking for their next mission.”
In addition to serving more students, the VETTS program, which is run under the umbrella of the Integrated Wellness Group, will expand to also offer mentoring and support services to fellow veterans trying to adjust to the civilian world.
VETTS Coordinator Frank Galley (pictured), a former Marine, said the program’s currently 12 veterans work with young people who might be affiliated with a gang, might have witnessed a friend being killed, or are living in neighborhoods that can feel like war zones.
“It’s not a bad thing to be able to talk to someone who knows a little something about that,” he said. “It’s not the same thing but they can relate.” And to know that they can call on that person any day, at any time, is making a difference for young people in the city who feel scared and like they have no place to go, Galley said.
But VETTS needs more veterans.
“This work is not for all veterans,” Galley said. “It’s definitely a higher calling because the kids we work with are tough. But I need veterans — people who are dedicated, motivated and up to the challenge of making a difference.”