Peace training

With neighborhood crime on the rise, one young activist is looking to increase the peace.

"I want to heighten the awareness of peace," said John Suggs, a 22-year-old youth pastor who works out of the New Consolation Christian Center, 22nd Street and Snyder Avenue.

Suggs’ ministry is the PowerStation Youth Outreach Center, a program he uses to reach out to as many teens as possible.

The center sponsors a community "Back to School Jam" annually, but "we wanted to make this year special," Suggs said.

The fourth annual event, sponsored in partnership with Power 99 FM, has grown from a small church project to registering more than 500 teens.

But the size of the gathering is not the only change. While, as in previous years, teenagers will receive DVDs, school supplies and other goodies, another youth will get something more.

Shawn Bonnett, a 2004 graduate of South Philadelphia High School, will receive the first-ever Malik Upchurch Scholarship Award. Upchurch, 15, was shot and killed while riding his bike on the 2800 block of Wharton Street on July 1.

The teen’s death struck the whole community, but 80 percent of the 1,300 people at his funeral — held at the New Consolation Christian Center — were teenagers, Suggs said.

That fact underscored the impact of violence on young people, and inspired the pastor to help another teen succeed.

"We wanted to bring the community back together and keep Malik’s name alive," he said. "It’s a good remedy to the healing process."

Bonnett, who graduated with a 3.6 GPA, received a full scholarship to Kutztown University in addition to this award.

"Shawn didn’t have the means to put himself through school," Suggs said, adding that the center’s scholarship money will help.

Bonnett will be presented with his award at the Back to School Jam tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Suggs runs another program for teens called Friday Night Live. Since its inception just a year ago, the outreach group has been making a difference, and growing from an attendance of 40 to 200.

FNL kicks off this year on Sept. 24. Suggs is confident the group will change the participants’ lives for one simple reason: "They found people who cared at a young age."

The pastor, who graduated with a communications degree from Eastern University, admits he doesn’t like doing things traditionally, and created FNL when he was tapped to increase church attendance.

While politicians put a Band-Aid on the problem, FNL tries to get to the root of it, Suggs said.

"We’re still here dealing with relevant issues," he said. "It’s not a black thing, it’s not a white thing. It’s a teenage thing."

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PowerStation Youth Outreach Center is accepting applications for the 2005 Malik Upchurch Scholarship Award. All achieving students are eligible and will be judged by a non-biased four-party panel. The center also is accepting donations. For more information, call 215-465-0531.