CLEVELAND — Across the state, city leaders are concerned about an increase in youth-involved car thefts, gun violence and other crime.
In Cleveland and Akron, city leaders have made it a priority to invest in programs to keep youth off the street.
Two sisters from East Cleveland with a similar mission started a nonprofit called “The Spot” in 2006 to teach kids about civic engagement and grow their professional skills.
This summer, they’ve placed one special student in a summer internship.
DeShay Loyed has big dreams of becoming an actress.
“I like acting, and I like changing people’s mood,” she said. “I like seeing people react to how I act.”
Loyed is always working toward that goal, but she knows it’s going to take time.
In the meantime, her aunts, Teralawanda and Rosshawnda Aaron, are keeping her involved with their nonprofit, The Spot, to grow her skills and prepare for adulthood.
They’re the ones who placed her in her summer job as a leader at a camp for young kids.
“Challenged my patience a lot,” Loyed said. “A lot of kids got really sensitive feelings, and some of them is just really stubborn. I’ll say that.”
Her aunts said the experience is helping her grow.
They run The Spot all on their own, and for two people, they do a lot.
Beyond providing clothing and food for those in need, they pay youth to attend educational seminars about civic engagement, host events to bring youth together and help them seek employment opportunities.
“I always was in settings that young people frequented, and I noticed that they didn’t have information and resources they needed to take them to the next level,” Aaron said. “A lot of them were unprepared to get jobs, run households, apply for benefits.”
Aaron and her sister work out of a home office and travel to schools and community centers for their programming.
They said The Spot has only continued to grow since they started almost 20 years ago, and now, they’re working to secure a physical space for the youth.
“If you look at our recreation centers, our swimming pools, the places that our youth have to visit and frequent, they’re in poor array,” Aaron said. “Some are closed and unavailable. There’s no spaces and places for our young people to go.”
Until they’re able to get a building, they’re going to keep pushing to get young people informed, registered to vote and ready for adulthood.
Loyed encourages anyone who’s thinking about it to join The Spot.
If nothing else, she said, she’ll be your friend.
“It gives you a lot of opportunities,” Loyed said. “And also, you meet a lot of new people. So, if you’re someone who don’t have many friends, or think you don’t have many friends, it’s really good to do.”
