After being a “resounding success,” the West Bloomfield Youth Assistance Food Truck Rally will return. The event, which raises funds to help keep youth out of the criminal justice system, is slated to feature a variety of entertainment, including musician Steve Acho.
WEST BLOOMFIELD – After taking a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the West Bloomfield Youth Assistance Food Truck Rally is returning.
The event, which organizers said takes about eight months to put together, includes music, food, games and vendors, and is scheduled to take place in the Orchard Mall parking lot from 4 to 8 p.m. on the 26 of August
The food truck rally is organized as an effort to support West Bloomfield Youth Assistance, which is a non-profit organization that provides professional social worker services and prevention programs for youth and their families living in West Bloomfield School District.
Youth who have had problems with things like retail fraud, assault, alcohol and drug use, as well as problems at home and/or school can be referred to WBYA by schools and the police, as well like parents who have concerns about a child.
Unlike getting a criminal record, the WBYA can sometimes offer an alternative for youth.
West Bloomfield Police Department Deputy Chief Curt Lawson is the WBYA treasurer. He shared an example of the type of scenario that might lead someone to enter the WBYA program.
“Let’s say a child goes into a store and steals. There are three options: no processing; there is the criminal justice part, where the police come and will enter the criminal justice system; or the officer decides to put that kid in a youth assistance diversion program,” Lawson said. “That’s what we recommend in first offenses for smoking, drinking, using marijuana: kids who might be stealing or kids who might not they show up at school. … That’s where youth assistance in these lower-level offenses can really be a benefit to the child, so they don’t have a criminal justice record; they must not enter the criminal justice system. … It is a diversion program outside of criminal justice.”
The WBYA program is for children under 18 years of age.
Stacy Panini has been a case worker for over 20 years. She is assigned through the Family Division of the Oakland County Circuit Court and has been with WBYA since 2009.
It is usually assigned to specific youth cases for nine months or less.
“The program is not designed to be a long-term therapeutic intervention. We will do short-term counseling and professional social worker services, and then if families need long-term interventions, we will make sure we accompany them,” Panini said.
Panini’s caseworker services are conducted at West Bloomfield High School and via Zoom.
Lawson said the WBYA’s success rate is “pretty high” and referred to Panini as an “outstanding caseworker.”
“She’s helped change a lot of kids’ lives, put them on the right path,” Lawson said. “I think sometimes you just need a little bit of correction, especially when you’re a teenager; you get a little bit off track. He’s done a great job with all his assets at his disposal to push kids on the right path and make them successful. We don’t see a lot of kids re-entering the criminal justice system or youth welfare.”
Youth assistance programs are offered in various parts of Oakland County, and from Panini’s perspective, it’s a “game changer” for those who take advantage.
“I think if families buy into it, kids take the program seriously and use what’s offered, it can be very successful,” he said. “Countywide, it has a significantly high success rate where we see kids who have been involved in youth assistance, and then we look at the statistics of whether they’ve ever entered the juvenile justice system. The success of the program is in the high 90 percent, who would never see official court involvement.”
Lawson said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald and West Bloomfield School District Superintendent Dania Bazzi are “big advocates” for youth assistance.
The cost to attend the West Bloomfield Youth Assistance Food Truck Rally is $5 per family, with funds raised going to the WBYA program.
“Having financially sound youth assistance allows us to help more kids in the greater West Bloomfield community, and that’s what West Bloomfield Youth Assistance is all about,” Lawson said. “(An) event like the food truck allows us to have the money to do these things, and that’s why it’s such an important event. Not only is it a fun event to come to, you get great food (and) entertainment, but your money goes to a great cause, which is West Bloomfield Youth Assistance.”
Lawson expects to have approximately 17 food trucks at the event, with a variety of food offerings.
Entertainment is expected to include musician Steve Acho, bounce houses and games for children.
After being a “resounding success” in its inaugural year in 2018, the West Bloomfield Youth Assistance Food Truck Rally is back the following year. This is expected to be the first demonstration since 2019.
Lawson said the last event drew a crowd of nearly 5,000.
“I can’t tell you the number of people that have come to me, especially the first year, and (were) so grateful that youth assistance was able to put on something like this event,” she said. “It brought the community together. … They enjoyed getting together; they enjoyed the atmosphere; they enjoyed the fact that it was for a good cause. So I think that’s extremely important.”
Lawson also added that the West Bloomfield Police Department will be on hand to provide security.
“So it’s going to be a community event for sure,” he said.
Panini is also a supporter of the benefits that can result from the West Bloomfield Youth Assistance Food Truck Rally.
“For me, the food truck rally is critical,” he said. “It helps us establish additional funds to support children and families in our community through programming. … The food truck rally or other fundraising opportunities give us the ability to give back to the community in various ways”.
Lawson recognized the sponsors of the West Bloomfield Youth Assistance Food Truck Rally: West Bloomfield Township, the West Bloomfield School District, the cities of Orchard Lake and Keego Harbor, Orchard Mall, US Ice, Maple View Party Store and Winning Prints and Custom Trophies.
For more information about West Bloomfield Youth Assistance, visit wbyouthassistance.org.
