They Don’t Have to Be What They See
Told by Jordan Rodriguez
Written by Laurie Grobman
The main difference Jordan Rodriguez sees in Reading today from the Reading he grew up in is the “loss of ‘neighbor’ in the word ‘neighborhood.’” In his community growing up, they left the doors open with their neighbors coming in and out. They felt safe. There were always things to do. The basketball courts were lively, and there was often a DJ at the park: “Nobody was worried about anyone coming down with a gun. It was always a sense of community. It was a neighborhood.”
But now, “there’s no neighbor helping you.” The city feels “combative” and without a “sense of community.” That’s what our youth see now: “It’s repetitive for them. They wake up hearing gunshots, they go to sleep hearing gunshots. What was a bedtime story or a bedtime song for me is different. For them, it’s arguing outside or gunshots right down the street. And that’s their norm.”
Showing youth another way is what Jordan is all about. Pushing for the youth to not be a statistic and to not be confined to just the expectations of their block or the pressures of social media. They don’t have to follow the pack or what’s trending: “I want them to know that just because they grew up in this situation doesn’t mean they have to be the outcome of that situation. They don’t have to be what they see. They can always dream and do more and see more.” They need mentors, like Jordan, showing them, “Hey, I was here too. I grew up here. This is where I’m from, but I made the most out of it.”
Jordan is “very family oriented” and thinks “having my loving and supportive family is what kept me on the right path.” He sees too many parents losing their cool in front of their kids:
“If kids are observing and feeling parents’ aggression, they’re going to do that same thing in their life. Violence is not just about guns and fights. It’s not just drugs. Violence starts within the home and how kids are being treated. That’s what they’re mirroring.” Jordan wants parents to break these cycles: “Let’s get back to structure. Let’s get back to holding kids accountable for their actions.” Jordan stresses that there are numerous community resources like Berks Community Action Program (BCAP), Reading Recreation, the Real Deal 610, SAFE Berks, Opportunity House, and more that “have people who are genuinely willing to help parents, to hear your story, to house you, to help you, to clothe you, to give you these resources that will help you provide more stability for your family.”
The Olivet Boys and Girls Club, where Jordan has worked for 14 years, is one of these community resources. Jordan is currently the Director of Programs. He started back in 2010 at the Clinton Street club on the north side of Reading as a line staff, followed by promotions to gym coordinator, sports coordinator, and team coordinator. Seeing so many aspects of how the clubs function has helped him to understand what the youth want and need.
He’s learned that “when you plant seeds, they keep on growing.” But to do so, he makes the effort to know what each youth is dealing with, what their structure is at home, what they’re missing: “And that’s how you plant those different seeds to grow because not every kid is the same. There’s different trauma. There are different situations that they grow up with.”
Jordan also knows that not every kid can be saved from violence, no matter how hard he tries. Three Clinton Street club kids he mentored were killed by two club kids he also mentored, who are in prison. Out on the streets, “it’s each block against each other. Everybody wants to fight for territory when they don’t even know the meaning behind it.” Knowing these five young people and their potential breaks his heart. And it sometimes haunts him: “Why did you have to go down that path? What led you to go down that path? Was it because you wanted to look a certain way? Was it because maybe I wasn’t there to reach out to you enough? It’s one of those things you kind of live with.” And so, he stays at Olivet to help all the kids he can save from violence.
Jordan transferred to the Mulberry Club a few years ago as Club Director to “tackle another part of the city” and learned quickly that it had a different culture than Clinton Street: “I got to work. I provided more structure. The kids loved it. They wanted it. They yearned for that. We can have fun, but I am very stern. I’m all about respect.” He’s proud of the structure that was in place at Mulberry when he left and eager to take on his new role in the Olivet administration. Jordan “takes pride in this new promotion because I was there from the ground up. I know what these kids want. I know what they don’t want. I know what they want the Olivet to look like. And that’s because for 14 years, I’ve listened to kids and learned from supervisors and staff.”
Jordan seeks volunteers who are going to be consistent in the kids’ lives. He asks potential volunteers about their motives and goals. He wants volunteers who truly care about forming positive relationships with kids.
When it comes to grant funding programming, Jordan wants kids to be learning while having fun, such as High Yield Learning Activities (HYLA). They shouldn’t feel like they’re in school, but some structure is needed. He understands how important grants are to nonprofits. But
the kids are central: “Knowing what they want us to provide is my advantage because I’ve been on both sides. And I know what they’re capable of after an eight-hour day of school. I will listen to them, and I will be their voice for them.”
Ultimately, Jordan is hopeful for Reading’s youth. But it takes work. Adults must play their parts, first by believing in these children and teens, and then by mentoring and talking to them, as he does, telling them, “You are not who everybody says you are. You are who you believe you are.” Kids should never “think that violence is their end all. Violence is not their end all.”