TURN IT AROUND
Family & Friends Newsletter: May 2022

The purpose of this newsletter is to highlight our amazing youth leaders and all of the activities taking place in the community that they are involved in.

We hope to further engage the mentors and adults in these young people's lives and are available to parents and guardians to answer any questions about our programming. If you need assistance regarding your youth, please feel free to reach out to our Youth Program Coordinator, Mswati Hanks.
Click on our link to donate to TIA and get tickets for our 10 Year Celebration!
Save the Date! Come join us as we celebrate a decade of TURN IT AROUND! We will have exclusive TIA Merchandise, light refreshments and a showcase of our youth and their talents!

To donate or buy tickets, click here.
Where Are They Now?
TURN IT AROUND Alumni

Guess Who? It's Zaire!
Find out what she has been up to and how Turn It Around has impacted her life!
TURN IT AROUND:
Youth of the Month

TURN IT AROUND’S Youth of the Month for May is Aida Caraballo! Aida has been such a superstar ⭐️ for the past few months. On top of being a wonderful role model for our younger members, she’s at every TIA meeting, every single event we do, and also volunteers to help out anytime we need it. Aida will also be graduating from Charlestown High School in a couple of weeks. She received three job offers for this summer through SuccessLink and accepted a position as a ZooTeen at Franklin Park Zoo!

In addition, we have bestowed upon Aida the prestigious honor of representing all of the 2022 TURN IT AROUND graduates and the Charlestown Coalition at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Community Health Improvement graduation ceremony. There are so many big things happening for Aida right now, and we are so so proud of her! We can’t wait to see what’s next on her journey!!


-Mswati Hanks,
Youth Program Coordinator
Race Dialogues
Two years ago, George Floyd was murdered, sparking many feelings in our youth and across the world. Since May of 2020, The Coalition, in partnership with then-Councilor Lydia Edwards, held monthly race and equity circles to share and listen to one another, with many different community members and people who work in the community. This space is valuable in that it encourages our community members to come together and share their truths. We are so grateful for everyone’s vulnerability and story.

Thank you to Senator Edwards and Councilor Coletta for their unwavering dedication and support to creating these spaces.

Join us next month for our monthly Race Dialogues in person at the Peace Park.
Mental Health Awareness Fair Recap:
This month was Mental Health Awareness Month. We collaborated with Charlestown organizations and providers to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and stress the importance of mental wellness, while also sharing resources and enhancing community connections. Our youth is such an important part of our presence in the community!
TURN IT AROUND Selfie Scavenger Hunt!
Last week at TURN IT AROUND, our youth participated in the selfie scavenger hunt. We gave them a list of 25 categories of things and people to get a picture with while wearing TIA gear. We always love this activity because it gets them out into the community, talking about who they are and what TIA does, and changing perceptions of youth in the Charlestown community. Some of the challenges included:

• take a pic with someone who has a beard
• take a pic of someone pushing a stroller
• take a pic with someone on a bike

Our winners took home a cash prize!
May Birthday Shout-outs to Micah, Feisal, and Alumni Fatima and Zaire!
Thank you for helping raise the next generation
of community leaders!