The CSE Institute wishes to congratulate the Philadelphia Police Department’s Community Health Enrichment Empowerment Resource Service Program (C.H.E.E.R.S.) on the launch of its new website. C.H.E.E.R.S., spearheaded by the Philadelphia Police Department’s Community Relations Unit, is a collaboration of City Agencies including the Philadelphia School District and the Office of Behavioral Health. C.H.E.E.R.S. works to “to effectively instill and impress upon our youth values conducive with self improvement and the betterment of our communities.” The C.H.E.E.R.S. program equips at-risk youth, who live in some of the most dangerous and violence-prone areas of Philadelphia, “with the necessary tools to make well informed decisions when confronted with situations that may negatively impact their lives.” The program is available for kids aged 8 to 17 and runs on Saturdays for six to eight weeks during the Spring. It concludes with a relay tournament, graduation ceremony, and luncheon.
CSE Institute Director, Shea Rhodes, Esq., has led C.H.E.E.R.S. workshop on human trafficking, teaching children to be aware of the predatory nature of traffickers for their own safety, since 2013.
C.H.E.E.R.S.’s new website will be instrumental in furthering it’s mission through disseminating more information about program opportunities, and encouraging more community members and organizations to get involved or donate resources.