WACO, Texas — A Central Texas organization is reaching out to parents, children and teens about the dangers of gangs and addiction.
The Klaras Center for Families, part of the Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network, hosted the second of a series of gang violence prevention meetings on Tuesday night.
The program is known as 'GAPS', or Gang Awareness, Prevention and Safety. Tuesday's event featured speakers from the McLennan County Sheriff's Office, non-profit Size of a Man, as well as a woman whose son is recovering from a fentanyl addiction.
"If one person or one youth decided not to pick up and try something, or one parent finds hope...that's what I'm hoping for," Rhonda Ayers said.
Ayers' son developed an addiction to fentanyl in high school and is now 8 months sober.
The GAPS seminar was open to Central Texas students between 4th and 12th grade and their parents.
Another GAPS advocate, Rudy Rae Morales, spent his childhood and teen years in and out of prison for selling drugs.
Morales, now 28, released music detailing his journey out of life on the streets. His probation officer found the music and paired him with GAPS.
"Anywhere I gotta be to be the hands and feet of the Lord to bring hope to the youth, because I never had that as a youngster growing up," Morales said.
The program was born after Klaras counselors discovered a program for gang safety and prevention was missing from the community.
Their goal is to provide families with tools to know the warning signs that kids may be in risky situations and how to best communicate about it.
"Really just driving home that point that you are the difference maker. As long as you are willing to make that difference, the world can be a different place, for real," said Darryl Thomas, Jr., who spoke of losing his brother to violence just last year.
The Klaras Center plans to host another GAPS seminar in the coming months. More information will be available on social media, or via the Klaras Center directly, when announced.
