I volunteered with D.A.R.E. America writing profiles of staff members for a column entitled “Daren’s Number 1 fan.” Below is a sample column.
Jarvis Johnson: Daren’s number 1 fan
From a young age, Jarvis Johnson learned from his mother the importance of giving back to your community. “She wanted to be a voice for those who didn’t have one,” he says. “I wanted to be that voice, too.” Today, Jarvis is a program coordinator for D.A.R.E + P.L.U.S—Play and Learn Under Supervision. He works with elementary and junior high school kids in the same Houston, TX neighborhood where he grew up, Fifth Ward, setting up D.A.R.E Dance programs, chess clubs, reading clubs, athletic teams, and other activities. The program gives the kids “something to say yes to,” Jarvis says. He estimates that he has worked with 10,000 kids since beginning with D.A.R.E. in 1997.
The program has saved the lives of many kids, Jarvis says. The kids in Fifth Ward see violence and drug use every day, and to keep them away from those influences, they need to be equipped with strong morals and an education, which D.A.R.E + P.L.U.S helps provide. In addition to conducting after-school activities, the program tracks the kids to make sure they are going to class and keeping their grades up. The program also raises the participants’ self-worth, making them less likely to seek the approval of a gang.
Recently Jarvis has been active in helping those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Over 150,000 people were evacuated to Houston, and some had nothing when they arrived. In addition to helping them secure basic needs and housing, Jarvis helped set up after school programs for the kids in shelters and schools.
Jarvis plans to be with D.A.R.E for a long time. “It’s very rewarding,” he says, because his work has touched the lives of so many kids. He adds that the D.A.R.E message to communities is very important: “Educate kids instead of putting handcuffs on them.”
Naghma Husain 