Indy East Side Youth Center Needs Assistance.

Struggling Youth Program Needs Your Help

As I drive up and down down Michigan, Washington and New York Streets in Indianapolis, I cannot count the number of burned out buildings or grafiti signs along the way. I feel like I am in a war zone and we are loosing the battle. And, by all rights, I am. The inhabitants of Indy's East Side live in the highest crime area in the city. Recent crime sweeps have netted 90 prostitution arrests in one weekend alone. Indy has a murder rate that rose 40 percent from 2005 to 2006. The arson rate is more than double the national average and violent crimes are 1.5 times the nationals average. As I drive home each night I am witness to police chases and drug deals. Yes, I am driving through a war zone and we are loosing the battle. Who will be the causalities of this war? Those at highest risk are the youth in this area. So, I decided to stop by a small youth center in the area where I see boys playing hoopball each day.

I took some time this afternoon to interview Dora Chestine, the founder of the Little Disciples Youth Center. She said she had taken over the center four years ago. She proudly informed her center serviced an area from 10th and Washington, and between Sherman and Linwood, but no child would be turned away. As I viewed the small center, I tried to imagine where she would seat the 40-60 youth she said her program served each day. She said they often lacked seating but served a dinner meal every day at 5 O'clock.