Photo courtesy Hathaway-Sycamores
Deputy Scott Rule, Deputy Dan Paige and one other member of the Los Angeles County Search and Rescue Team lead seven of the boys from the Pasadena-based Hathaway-Sycamores Transitional Shelter Care Program on a three mile hike on a recent morning. This was the first trail hiking experience for all of the young people.
The Search and Rescue Team taught the youth about the flora and fauna they might encounter and some basic survival skills that should be observed when hiking including: staying on the trail, knowing the direction you are headed, and setting your cell phone on airplane mode to save the battery.
The youths, aged 10 to 17 years, particularly liked learning about the plants and animals. They learned how to identify poison ivy and the type of places where rattlesnakes can be found.
The deputies also shared information about mountain lions and bears (don’t run away from them, they will chase you).
The hike is part of a series of ongoing activities planned to build good relationships between the youth and law enforcement officers.
This week the Altadena Sheriffs will be joining the boys at our El Nido residential campus for a friendly game of basketball followed by a barbeque. Other future activities include planned visits with the K-9 Unit and Firefighters.
Program staff members hope to expand the awareness of the boys about the potential for their personal futures by introducing them to an officer who was in the foster system and grew up in a high crime neighborhood. They will share his stories with the message that it doesn’t matter what your background is or where you come from, your future is up to you.
Hathaway-Sycamores Child and Family Services provides a comprehensive continuum of services to thousands of children and families annually through a network of facilities stretching across the greater Los Angeles area including the San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, and the Antelope Valley. For more, visit www.hathaway-sycamores.org/
