FLORENCE — Twelfth Circuit Solicitor E.L Clements III will present a donation of $793 to Harvest Hope Food Bank at 147 North Irby Street of non-perishable food items gathered through his Community Arbitration Program. With this donation the Solicitor’s Office has provided $3,027 to Harvest Hope this year.
Twelfth Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements’ Juvenile Arbitration Program has partnered with Harvest Hope Food Bank in order to bring the blessings of giving to the young people passing through the Arbitration Program.
The Juvenile Arbitration Program is designed to divert first time non-violent/non-status offenders out of the Family Court system and into an informal arbitration setting that is operated by trained, committed volunteers using the Restorative Justice Model.
Clements said juvenile offenders were given the opportunity to donate nonperishable food items to Harvest Hope. Being able to provide such substantial items to their own backyards provided the youth with the feeling of community involvement and awareness, a feeling that is both restorative and hopeful for our future. With today’s budget and financial woes, this allows young people to really get a sense of community action in a big way, according to Clements.
The first time juvenile offenders, who are going through the Juvenile Arbitration Program with Solicitor Clements’ office, as a part of their sanctions, purchased nonperishable food items. They documented how they earned the money and then brought in their documentation, food items that they purchased themselves, and receipt of purchase to the Arbitration Office. Solicitor Clements was delighted that the Juvenile Arbitration Program was able to partner with Harvest Hope Food Bank. He commends those young people participating in Arbitration for purchasing and contributing even more than they were required to contribute as a part of their sanctions.
Clements said that his office will continue programs like these in the future in an effort to meet the needs of young people in learning how to make better choices, as well as, to help the area grow stronger as a community.
For more information on Harvest Hope’s mission to feed struggling individuals and families in the Pee Dee, visit www.harvesthope.org.
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