Baltimore, there was a 3,000 percent increase in volunteers to mentor disadvantaged children in the city.
A very small percentage of the protesters were causing damage, and among them were mostly children who were too young to know any better, and people who were in extremely desperate situations. The vast majority of the protesters in the city were peaceful and did not cause any damage to private property.
Teenagers in the city were also responsible for “the purge” scare, in which students threatened to start a crime spree of vandalism begining in a Baltimore mall. Luckily, the teenagers were stopped and talked-down by local gang members, who had recently called a truce to keep peace in the community.
The fact that so many children were involved in the destruction seen this week, has inspired many residents in Baltimore to reach out and give needy children some much needed support.
According to Terry Hickey president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake, this is the largest spike in interest that his organization has ever seen.
“We are devastated by what has happened here in Baltimore. It will take strength and time to rebuild our city, and we believe mentorship plays a large role in that. Our focus is to connect strong role models looking to make a difference with local youth facing adversity,” Hickey said.
“There is no single solution for what ails many of our nation’s youth. What we do know is that when a young person has a mentor in their life, they make better choices. The positive influence of a mentor can lead to a life filled with direction and optimism about the future. This outpouring of interest in becoming a mentor in Baltimore reflects the best in our country — people looking for solutions — looking for ways to make life better for others,” Pam Iorio, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America added.