Project Legacy leaves its mark on participants

Aug. 05--For nearly a decade, Project Legacy has provided support and resources for youth in Rochester.

Karen Edmonds started the program in 2008 to provide "intensive support" to at-risk youth.

"What motivated me were the number of young people in our community, primarily kids of color, who have not had a positive support system in their life, who've come from families who are refugees from war-torn countries, who have parents who may have been gang-affiliated, or struggled from generational poverty," Edmonds said.

This year, the organization has served about 25 students in college and 50 youth in all. Ninety percent of those students had parents who were incarcerated. Ninety percent had parents who were chemically dependent, and 70 percent of the students had been homeless at some point in their lives.

Edmonds was motivated by "seeing that there are kids out there that wanted to change their life, who wanted a better life, but didn't have a support system in place."

'They can be heard'

Students typically get connected to the program through word of mouth, but probation officers and public defenders also offer referrals.

The organization oversees several programs. Operation Nourish, for example, provides food support to young adults in the program. Every other week, participants can submit a grocery list and volunteers deliver the food. Another program is Operation Encouragement. Volunteers send monthly care packages to high school and college students. Project Legacy also has a support program for young adults in the prison system. Volunteers write letters, and visit the young adults in prison in order to provide a positive support system when they are released.

But the cornerstone of Project Legacy is the Healing Circles. These circles facilitate meaningful discussion between teens and community members. Through Project Legacy, Edmonds lead five groups this year. Kids sit in a circle, and discuss important issues in a facilitated discussion.

"It's for them to be able to know that they can talk, and that they can be heard, and get the support that they need to deal with whatever their issues are," Minneapolis-based discussion leader Alice Lynch said.

Lynch connected with Edmonds and her husband, John Edmonds, while teaching a course through the Department of Human Services. She has been leading similar "Circles" for 25 years, and trained Karen to do the same.

"I started doing it in the Hennepin County Juvenile Court, where kids would be referred to our program, and we would have community members sit in a circle with them. Recidivism was almost non-existent," Lynch said.

'I deserved better'

Participants in Project Legacy's Healing Circles have found benefits from the program as well.

Rochester-native Emily Hanson, 23, started attending Healing Circles three years ago.

"I had seen and known a couple people who had gotten involved, and saw how their lives had turned around," she said. "I was in the pits of a really bad heroin addiction, but I always knew that I deserved better. When I got to that point where I was sick and tired, I reached out to Karen."

Hanson sent Karen a Facebook message with her story, asking for support. Karen met with her the next day.

With the support of Project Legacy, Hanson sought chemical dependence treatment in Saint Paul. She's been clean from heroin from two and a half years.

"I would say the circles helped me out the most," Hanson said. "When you first get clean, or when you're trying to get off the streets, it's a super lonely transition time. To know that I had the support there from people that have been through the same thing was the most influential thing for me."

Straightened out

Hanson, who currently works at Caribou Coffee, is saving money to go back to school and finish her degree in library science.

"Karen helped me figure out what I wanted to do, and made me focus on who I am and what I want for my future, and decide where to go next." she said.

Jeylin Smith, 21, says that Project Legacy helped to "mold (him) into a man".

Though Smith has known Edmonds for years through mutual friends, he only started attending the meetings this year.

"It's nice to to talk to somebody that can relate to you," Smith said. "Just being there and having my back when nobody else did."

He started attending because he wanted a better life for himself and his 6-year-old son.

Jeylin is currently studying at RCTC to become an auto-mechanic, and working at Forager Brewing Company to help pay the bills.

"It's been working so far, and I'm staying out of trouble," Smith said. "I'm focusing more on my priorities and goals in life."

This summer, Project Legacy graduates are coming full-circle, facilitating one of these circles for middle school girls.

"It's great to have these young women mentoring these middle school kids," Edmonds said.

She is currently working to grow Project Legacy into a self-sustaining program. The organization received a grant from the state this year, and a team of volunteers works to raise money for the organization.

"The single best part is seeing kids who had no hope now believe in themselves, and to see them sober and volunteering in the community and giving back to other kids and believing in their own self worth," Edmonds said. "All these doors have opened to them, and that's why I do this."

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If you go

"Grace in the Margins," a fourth-annual event hosted by Project Legacy

When: 7 p.m.Aug. 17

Where: B'Nai Israel Synagogue, 150 Seventh Ave. SW, Rochester

This year's event theme is "Journeys of Healing." Participating youth will share their stories and experiences, and Karl Rist will deliver a keynote address.

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