5K Run Hopes To Raise Money For Teen Jobs

IMPD and DPS will host a 5K run to raise money for teen jobs

Runners will line up downtown, Saturday, for a first ever event aimed at connecting young people with jobs.

The Department of Public Safety and Indianapolis Police Department are hosting a 5k to raise money to finance salaries for teens to work this summer.

Each day seems to bring a new headline of violence and murder.

Thursday morning a store clerk was shot in the head during a robbery on the city’s southwest side. 

Two days earlier, a 17-year-old girl was shot outside of Arsenal Tech and Indianapolis is on pace for one of its deadliest years in recent history.

Public Safety Foundation Chair Melissa Proffitt-Reese thinks the breakdown of families is a main contributor to the problem.

"These individuals don't have good role models and even if they do have a good role model at home sometimes those role models are handling two or three jobs and so they aren't around enough even though they are doing a nice job providing for their families," she said.

And while it can be a positive tool, she says social media makes it easier for young people to be exposed to negative influences.

"Our children have access to information and materials and data at such a young age - inappropriate materials, materials that teach them how to commit crimes, tell them how to make bombs, tell them how to sell inappropriate materials over the internet," she said.  "I think social media, as positive as it is in some respects, can be very negative for young individuals."

And Proffitt-Reese thinks putting young people to work can give them guidance they may not get elsewhere.

"Employing a young individual - they will be taught to listen, to learn, to follow directions and they will be around individuals who have careers, who have jobs, who enjoy those jobs and provide for their families," said Proffitt-Reese.  "They'll be able to learn and understand that traditional role of being self-servant and not expecting entitlements or handouts, but learning how to take care of themselves and the importance of that."

To help, DPS has raised $21,500 to pay for young people to work with service providers around the city. 

Those providers include Clean for Green, Young Men Inc, and 100 Black Men and Proffitt-Reese says others have submitted applications outlining how they would employ the teens.

"We are looking for jobs that don't really require special training because we didn't want to limit the opportunities to individuals," she said.  "So, it's things like landscaping, neighborhood cleanup, jobs that require more able bodies and young minds as opposed to specific training to allow for the broadest exposure to our youths."

To connect even more teens with jobs, the city’s public safety organizations are hosting the 5K run. Proffitt-Reese hopes it becomes an annual event and eventually raises $100,000 to $200,000 a summer.

"What we have seen more of is a lot more community involvement.  We have a lot more community meetings that we are having, more than we've ever had with greater attendance," she said.  "Because of the crime rate, we are really seeing communities and citizens become really actively involved in taking ownership in these issues and with that they encourage people within their neighborhoods to participate in events such as this.

The Run begins at 9 a.m. Saturday just east of the Indianapolis City Market.  All donations go to the Public Safety Foundation.