Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis Leader Says Basics and Mentorship Are Key to Curbing Youth Violence

Youth violence in Indianapolis has drawn heavy local and statewide attention in recent weeks following a number of shootings involving teenagers. Among the nonprofits working to address the underlying causes is the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis, whose CEO, Maggie Lewis, discussed its programs in an interview with WFYI's Jill Sheridan.

Lewis said the organization has operated for 132 years and has become part of the city's fabric. It began as the Boys Club, serving only boys, and began admitting girls in 1990. She described its mission as serving those in the community who need the most support.

A central element of the club's work, Lewis said, is providing a safe place where children can simply be kids. While news and radio reports regularly highlight the dangers facing young people, the club also offers mentorship, which she called important because of the value of having a caring adult in a child's life. Tutoring is available, and the club runs services for young people who have strayed from a typical path, such as those who have dropped out of school or had trouble with law enforcement. Those services aim to divert them from entanglement with the legal system.

Meeting basic needs is another part of the effort. Lewis noted that many of the children the club serves live in food deserts. The club provides healthy meals and snacks, and some children are sent home with food.

Sheridan noted that academics, character development and health all shape why one child thrives while another may not, and that gun violence is also considered a public health concern. Lewis said prevention includes teaching children to solve problems. There must be a way to handle differences, she said, without reaching for a gun to settle a street fight, and children need to be taught to resolve disputes in ways that do not harm themselves or others.

Asked about the shift toward addressing root causes, Lewis said adults sometimes make the issue too complicated and should return to the basics. The club's mission has not changed, she said: making sure children have the tools to succeed. That can mean a roof overhead and a safe place to go, but also food. She suggested a child who is acting out may simply be hungry, and may see robbing someone as the only way to get something to eat. Adults, she said, should take time to learn what is happening in a child's life that is driving certain behavior.

Sheridan pointed to two high-profile incidents involving youth: one in the downtown area on July 4, and another about a week later on the Far Eastside at four o'clock in the afternoon. She observed that a curfew would not have addressed the latter. She asked how more young people could be connected to services like the club's.

Lewis said word of mouth and media platforms help, as outlets can point families to safe places where children can be kids. She also said service providers must stay relevant by offering activities young people actually want to do, and that the club has to do its part. The more people talk about the Boys and Girls Clubs and similar organizations, and direct children toward them, the more it helps, she said.

Lewis is also a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council. The interview was edited for time and clarity.