Written by Olivia Cyrus
About this Series: Recently, I sat down with the committee chairs for Shelby County A to Z to discuss the importance of literacy in the community. Learn more about one of the chairs, Amy Kalb, Director of the Youth & Family Resource Center. Hear her thoughts on literacy and the importance of connecting youth with the community.
Amy Kalb, Director of the Youth & Family Resource Center (YFRC) in Shelby County, understands the importance of connecting youth with the community in order to prevent juvenile recidivism.
“Our slogan that we say is ‘we seek to connect youth to community and not systems,’” Kalb said.
The Chicagoland native has been a social worker for more than 25 years and devotes much of her time to creating productive social outlets for youth in Shelby County that create long-term solutions.
Since moving to Memphis a few years ago, Kalb set her sights on zeroing in on prevention efforts and looking at community safety for all residents.
“I think that my kind of focus on community prevention and youth justice issues is what made this job, in particular, especially exciting for me. Our whole goal is to be a resource for families and youth ages 10 to 17 in Shelby County. We hope that whenever they have an issue or concern and just don’t know where to turn, they come to us.”
The process of rehabilitation for an individual begins with a referral from either family, schools, the Memphis Police Department (MPD), or other youth agencies. Using a “diversion program” structure, the youth are then partnered with a youth advocate who strives to answer questions revolving around their potential, such as “What are your strengths?” and “What is going really well?”
The center takes a holistic approach and takes advantage of honest, meaningful conversations. Kalb strives to understand each person’s unique story and asks about their school or church involvement, academic performance, and physical/mental health. This understanding is then used to create a plan of action, or "off-ramp,” for the youth to reenter the community without any further contact with law enforcement or the juvenile court.
In looking at how literacy can also play a role in rehabilitation and youth success, Kalb says that youth literacy is “on a more abstract level, like a door.”
“I feel like literacy is just this thing that can make things possible for people, and it can open their worldview and what they can accomplish.”
She hopes that families who come to the YFRC take advantage of the literacy center offered by Literacy Mid-South to improve local reading comprehension and literacy skills.
Kalb has also taken on a leadership role as a committee chair for the Youth and Education Nonprofit Committee, which sponsors the Shelby County A to Z literacy initiatives.
Kalb is excited about both the upcoming Community Expo on August 17th where various businesses and nonprofit organizations in the county will come together to highlight all that is great about Shelby County. Kalb believes the expo will provide a space where families do not have to spend money or resources to have an entertaining experience.
Growing up in a family where reading and literacy were highly valued, Kalb says an opportunity to attend an event like this as a child would have been incredibly impactful.
“This would have been right in my wheelhouse of things I would have loved. And when I look at the book, it’s got the most appealing storyline, colors, and characters. I would have absolutely loved to go to something like this.”
At the expo, Kalb says the YFRC will have a table with engaging activities to complement the abundance of food, giveaways, and creative play offered. She hopes that through her involvement with Shelby County A to Z, the upcoming event will provide a chance for youth to “be creative, play, and have fun.”
Regarding her favorite page from the Shelby County A to Z children’s book, Kalb names J for Jookin, a style of dance popularized in Memphis that combines bounces and fast steps with fluid slides and spins.
The Shelby County A to Z Community Expo will be held at the Benjamin Hooks Library on August 17th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To learn more about the event, visit shelbycountyatoz.com.