Island teens discover new outlet for support through PITS
Generation Y or Generation Lost, no matter what handle today’s teens are given, one fact has remained the same throughout the passing of time. Nearly all teens are at a critical point in their lives and often need guidance beyond what their immediate family can provide. Hoping to help fill this need is a new group Pine Island Teens Succeed or PITS.
Last fall, several island adults got together and decided to do something just for the teenage residents of the island.
“Our goal was to provide support from outside of the family for kids that are at a critical age. We have all heard the expression ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ and we are trying to be that village,” said PITS founder Tonya Player. “We are not here to dispense advise or to preach to these kids. We are here simply to let them know that we are here if they need us, to present a positive influence and to provide a vehicle for getting together and having fun.”
According to Player, the PITS adults are willing to serve as a sounding board and to be people island youth can trust to open up to without fear of judgement. The PITS volunteers have discovered the best way to provide this atmosphere among teens it to supply them with fun activities that are planned by the teens.
“Our outings have been, and will continue to be, self directed by the teens who come to our meetings,” Player said. “We allow them to decide what they would like to do and we find a way to do it. This way the kids are always looking forward to what is going to happen next.”
Since the formation of PITS, the teens have been treated to boat trips for a picnic and day at the beach on Cayo Costa and several touch football games and barbecues, however, funding of these programs is not always easy to come by, according to Player.
“Our biggest problem continues to be money. Many of the things we would like to do come with a cost and we simply don’t have the funding to provide it,” Player said. “So far, much of the things we have been able to do with the kids has been made possible through donations from various sources and car washes where the kids earned the money themselves, but we are hopeful that others will help by donating to our outings so that we can continue to provide them.”
PITS is geared to youngsters in 6th through 12th grade and was spearheaded by Player along with Fire Chief David Bradley and Trish Waite. The group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month to plan activities which Players says should take place two to three times a month throughout the summer.
The first PITS activity was a barbecue and touch football game Saturday, May 28, in the back yard of the Beacon of HOPE.
“We are very pleased to have teamed up with the Beacon via its SAS after-school program and to have use of the facility,” Player said. “We also encourage all of the teenagers of Pine Island to join us for our free events whether they have been to one of our meetings or not. We also are seeking more volunteer adults to come and learn more about how they can help with this important program. All of us who give of our time to PITS not only find it rewarding but we have a great deal of fun along side the kids.”
For more information about Pine Island Teens Succeed, how to become a member or volunteer or to make a donation, contact Player at 461-3188, Chief Bradley at 283-0030 or Waite at the Pine Island TIB Bank 558-2089.