Teens In Mind house will aid young moms

Having worked in the social services field for years, Sander White said she's seen plenty of teenage mothers in need.

After attending a conference and workshop on second-chance homes in October 2002, she was inspired to do something to help the young women and decided to start Teens in Mind, a residential living area for pregnant teens or teen mothers of children up to age 3.

To raise money to get the nonprofit program started, Mrs. White is holding A Jazz Ensemble with Wycliffe Gordon on Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Augusta Museum of History on Reynolds Street.

The program's home is a 5,250-square-foot 12-room house on 15th Street, where teens 13 to 19 from the 14-county East Central Georgia health district will be taught independent living skills to help improve their parenting and life skills, Mrs. White said.

"In the social service arena, I've seen a lot of teen mothers who want to parent their children but don't have the umph, or don't know how," she said of why she wanted to start the home. "If you've got a young mother and her mom was a young mother, and she's living in poverty or uneducated, who's going to teach her?"

This type of program already exists in Atlanta and Thomasville, Ga., Mrs. White said.

"Well, guess what? Some people don't want to move to Atlanta. Some people want to stay right here in Augusta," she said.

With that idea in mind, Mrs. White began looking for a home when a chance conversation last year led her to the 15th Street house.

"A lot of people knew I was looking, and this lady told me her church had a house they no longer used," she said.

The church, William Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church located at 1630 15th St., once rented the house to Paine College for dormitories, but hasn't used it in nearly five years, said the Rev. Paul Gardner, the church's pastor.

The Rev. Gardner said he welcomes Teens in Mind because his church's congregation had been praying for a ministry to put the house "back in practice."

"We think it's an excellent program for the community and the church to get involved in lives of the young people and to make a difference in the community," he said. "We wanted a ministry that would be a blessing for the community and the church as well, and there (Mrs. White) was."

Mrs. White hopes to open the home this year. She said she will find out whether she will receive a grant for staff in March, but currently needs money to make necessary renovations to the home.

Reach C. Samantha McKevie at (706) 823-3552 or samantha.mckevie@augustachronicle.com.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: A Jazz Ensemble with Wycliffe Gordon

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12

WHERE: Augusta Museum of History, 560 Reynolds Street

COST: $50 per person; $75 per couple; $150 for four; $300 for eight

PHONE: 833-3005