MAKING A DIFFERENCE: One Child at a Time
03/19/07
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| Terry Lane (left) accepts the award from Jacksonville, Florida, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nestor Duarte. |
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A decade ago, the owner of a local cabinet shop looked around his neighborhood in Jacksonville—historically one of the toughest in the city when it came to drugs and crime—and decided to act.
Terry Lane reached out to the youngsters in the area of Cleveland Arms apartments, offering help and advice. After selling his business, he launched a center called the Metro Kids Konnection. For ten years, it has been a place of learning, encouragement, and fun for troubled and at risk kids—offering a fully equipped, Internet-enabled computer lab and a variety of educational after-school programs. Last year, Mr. Lane and his staff of nine at the center enrolled 145 children in these programs. The center also runs a leadership program for teens and provides job skills to adults.
Has the center made a difference? Absolutely, in the lives of countless young people and their families, not to mention the overall community. Since the center’s inception, for example, the neighborhood has seen a 55 percent drop in juvenile arrests.
Honoring his contributions. On February 22, Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nestor Duarte was pleased to present Mr. Lane with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award. The award is presented annually in each of our 56 local offices to individuals and programs that have made positive contributions in local communities, especially in the areas of crime prevention and drug deterrence.
For more information: Press release
