Identity

The following was part of a letter I am sending to Teen Haven donors this week (since writing the letter, another teen was shot and killed at a party in Lancaster in the last week - 2 others shot in the same incident as well):

Recent local events have increased the sense of urgency around the issue of gang violence.

Within a two hour period, four separate shootings occurred in Lancaster City leaving several individuals hospitalized. Days later a seven-year-old girl was shot in the crossfire of rival gangs while walking to the store with her mother.

Police estimate that as many as 20 organized gangs operate in Lancaster City, totaling 600-2,000 members.

Lancaster is not alone. York and Columbia have seen similar gang related crime affect their neighborhoods. And in Philadelphia last year, police documented more than 1,800 shootings and 406 murders (more than one per day). Police estimate that more than half of these shootings involved young street gang members (under 20 years old).

When urban teens struggle to define who they are or who they want to be, and when their family or church is unable to provide a sense of self and belonging, a street gang often fills that void.

Interviews with gang members and former gang members prove the same: Teens are looking for a sense of identity and belonging. Teens often refer to their gang as their family.

Teen Haven is a part of the community-based conversation determining how to address the rise in gangs and violence in our community. One thing remains clear to us though, even in the midst of these discussions: Programs only provide a viable alternative to street life if they can help a teen understand who they are and how they belong to something bigger than themselves.

Every day through camps and city programs, Teen Haven is helping kids find their identity. In January alone, 27 teens decided to join Christ’s family by accepting His gift of grace and committing to follow Him. Hundreds of kids are being nurtured in their faith and prepared to walk with Christ in the face of all the trials and temptations of the city through our discipleship programs.

This is the core of what Teen Haven has been offering inner-city teens for over 40 years. When a youth connects with Teen Haven, they learn they are a child of the King and can be a part of the greatest family in the world. When someone truly grasps all that it means to be a child of God and to be loved by Him, when they experience the fellowship, selfless love and support that can only be found in the Body of Christ, the allure of a gang is greatly diminished.

- Jack Crowley, Teen Haven