A flowering program

Juvenile offenders in a Hudson County community service program recently grew flowers that were given to North Bergen pre-kindergarteners in time for Mother’s Day.

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“We developed a program for kids to give back to the community.” – John Belluardo
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John Belluardo, a North Bergen school administrator and the director of a community service program for juvenile offenders, said that his program was a created a number of years ago when there was a need for the probation office to find volunteer activities. Kids aged 14 through 18, along with three supervisors and mentees, began heading around the county cleaning up parks, streets, and graffiti, as well as shoveling snow and growing plants.
Two years ago, the program received $124,000 in federal funding from the Governor’s Council to build a greenhouse, which was created behind North Bergen High School.
The greenhouse is fully functioning and has heat for the winter. Last year, members of the program planted in front of the high school. In the future, students in the high school’s environmental program will have access to the building.
“We developed a program for kids to give back to the community,” said Belluardo.
Belluardo’s program receives funding from the New Jersey Juvenile Delinquency Commission and the North Hudson County Youth Services. He said that program has been very successful, with only an average one to two offenders returning out of around 75 total.
The flowers grown by the teenagers bloomed just in time for Mother’s Day and were given out on May 8 at the temporary early childhood development center located in James J. Braddock Park. Then, the young recipients took them home for their mothers.

‘A complete program’

North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, School Supervisor Esther Alamo, Belluardo, and other town officials handed students flowers. Some mothers in attendance were given the gifts soon after.
“[Today] makes it a complete program,” said Sacco. “What we have is the greenhouse, we have students working in it, and now we have a place to give them out that’s giving a lot of joy to the children and the mothers receiving plants right away.”
Judith Cassada received her flower from son David Cassada. On that day, David’s class also had been making Mother’s Day gifts for parents in attendance.
“Yeah, I gave her that too,” said David.

Students giving back

Belluardo said the program gives the teenagers another person to turn to in the community. On Monday nights, he meets with students and a counselor and helps some of them look for jobs, talk about the possibility of attending vocational night school, or whatever other assistance they might need.
“I thought this program was excellent because it’s something the kids did to give to other children, who are in turn giving it to their mothers for Mother’s Day,” said Alamo. “The students are giving back to the community, which in turn makes everyone happy. It’s a win-win situation.”

Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.