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The Be Right! Project opened a hotline for troubled teenagers. The teens can call the hotline at any time and it can provide support for the teenagers’ families as well. Ever since it’s opening, the project director has witnessed its growing popularity with those teens who need help.
Darion Hutcherson, the one in charge of the hotline and head of the Be Right! Project, commented "The response has been very high. It's older people calling, young people calling, and parents are calling wanting help for their teenagers."
When Savanda Farmer was having issues with her 15-year-old son, one of her friends recommended the Be Right! Hotline. "I couldn't figure out what was going on with him. His grades were getting bad in school. He didn't want to be there. He wanted to change schools," said Farmer.
Once Farmer sought the help of the Be Right! Project, Hutcherson became in contact with her son. "If we could not come to us, we would like him to go somewhere," she explained. "He began to open up, and we found out a lot of things that were going on."
The Be Right! Project does not only involve a hotline but it has youth services as well, such as job placement, counseling, educational planning, and mentorship. The program is officially manned from C.R. Neal Dream Center on Atlas Road, but the project leads Hutcherson to other areas such as schools and homes also.
Hutcherson commented, "When you go into their environments, you see what kind of situations they're really going through. We had a situation last night where we had to go out and talk to a grandparent and grandson. When we left the house, everyone was in tears."
Communication is extremely important for any teen in trouble. There are numerous situations where vital talks with a teenager have actually taken them from the wrong path to the right one. With a hotline such as this one, teenagers have more chances at expressing themselves and their situations. They should be aware that there are people ready to listen. All they need to do is pick up that phone and dial. They just need to muster up the courage to do it.
As for the parents and family of these troubled teens, support is always ready to be given through this hotline as well. The Be Right! Hotline is 803-238-9422.
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