There are no youth services on Devens.
The town of Harvard
has renovated what was the Red Cross building to house the Harvard Teen Center
on Devens.
Sponsorship or support group programs for youngsters can be
obtained from Army Community Service. Programs must be sought in and
near the local communities of residence. Schools and churches
attended are good sources to check with.
The local community
hospitals all provide courses, support groups, and special events on health
related subjects.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
There are always
opportunities for volunteer work. Places to check to find out where
volunteers are needed include one's guidance counselor at school, the local
community hospital (which always needs volunteers), the church one attends, and
the local community newspaper are all good sources of
information. The Army Community Service (ACS) office, Devens, would
also be helpful, and might need a volunteer to help out in ACS
itself.
Volunteer experience is a valuable addition to anyone's
resume. It is an opportunity to gain valuable training and
experience, especially if you choose your volunteer work to include some of the
job skills you think you will want to use in a career later
on. References are also very important in any job application
process, and a good recommendation from a supervisor of volunteers is a valuable
recommendation, and can help a lot in getting work. Volunteer
experience is also valuable because it lets someone try out a line of work and
find out, first-hand, whether it is a job they like enough to want to continue
doing in the future. The town of Harvard has renovated a building on Devens to
accommodate the Harvard teens.
Activities are sought through churches and
organizations in the local communities. The Shirley Community Center
recently opened in Shirley, MA just outside of Devens. The best way
to find out what is happening, where, in the local area is to check local
newspapers and ask friends who have lived in the area for a
while. ACS offers information, brochures, and seasonal activities.
Programs for teens are available off post in the local community where a family
resides. Employees at Devens RFTA, both military and civilians, live
off post in thirty or more different communities. These towns and
cities vary in what extra-curricular activities are available in their
respective schools; mentoring programs for the enforcement of curfews, if any;
level of violence; availability of hotlines; local hangouts; and safety
issues.
YOUTH SERVICES PROGRAMS
Since all military and civilians
working at Devens Reserve Forces Training Area must live in surrounding civilian
communities, the health, social and religious programs available will depend on
where a family lives. Some smaller, more rural communities offer more in the way
of 4H activities for teens involving animals and nature. Larger, more
suburban communities tend to be less nature oriented. Health and
exercise classes are available through the local community hospitals, which
offer active evening community education programs at very low cost, and area
health clubs, which are more expensive. A variety of religions are
present in all communities, most offering religious instruction and some social
activities for teens as well.
SAFETY ISSUES
No community in
America today is free from crime and the scourge of drugs. Regardless
of the size and location of a community, residents must use common sense to
increase their chance of avoiding danger. There is no curfew in the
communities within a 15 mile radius of Devens. Public/police
relations are generally good. Area Police Departments are actively
involved with the schools through the DARE Program. These are not
high crime communities. They are generally smaller towns with
populations between 4,000 and 10,000 residents. Good schools and a
high quality education are a priority for most communities. The
communities with areas to be avoided are usually the cities with populations
over 45,000. There are two within 20 miles of Devens: Fitchburg and
Leominster, MA.