Group of city youths 'Jump' back together
Team Jump Off reopens for area teens after shutting down for a year
BY CHRISTINE VARNO Staff Writer

(Clockwise from left) The Badillo family: Jason, Carlos, Tonya, Gilbert, Gilberto and Vito.

LONG BRANCH- It was six years ago when a city family opened their home and hearts to the youth in the community with the sole intention of breaking the cycles of poverty and heartbreak.

Agroup of teens, who came to call themselves Team Jump Off (TJO), had at the Badillo home a safe haven to turn to any time of the day, any day of the week.

The Badillo family was forced to close down TJO last summer due to health problems, according to founder Tonya Badillo, who said that after being closed for almost a year, TJO is back in business.

"At the doctor's request and much pressure from loved ones, I made the heartbreaking decision to put TJO on hold," Badillo said. "The teens of our team were devastated when I announced our closing.

"In fact, they came tome with a proposal on how they would keep it open. While we never really closed, our home remained open.

"We closed in the sense that we did not do major events or programs," she said, adding, "However, I saw the teens having too much time on their hands and they did not feel that sense of unity any longer.

"I watched themspiral and I knew I had to bring it back," Badillo said.

Team Jump Off was born in April 2003 when Badillo saw that one of her four sons was hanging out with a "tough crowd."

She explained that she was a teenage mother who dropped out of high school and saw many of her friends go down the same path.

Badillo has since married, had a family, went back to high school and college, and is pursuing a master's degree.

"But many of my friends and family members did not escape the lure of the streets and ended up in prison, addicted or dead," Badillo said. "I ached for a solution to help try and keep others in my own community from doing the same.

"I discussed this withmy husband, who, as a juvenile, also found himself caught in the same cycle, and we consciously decided to take responsibility for our own community and try to do our small part to help change it for the better," Badillo said.

The Badillos gathered a group of 12 city teens who were friends of their sons and discussed the youths' needs and concerns about life in the community.

"On that day, Team Jump Off was born and we opened our home 24 hours a day, seven days a week as a safe haven for teens, Badillo said.

The team was soon expanded to 30 members, and six years since its start, Badillo says that TJO is not just an organization, but also a family.

"We go on field trips, play ball at local parks, barbecue, visit museums and the YMCA and anything else I can think of to keep them active and involved," Badillo said, adding that the teamalso participates as youth advisers for area organizations and volunteers at community events.

TeamJump Off has been nationally recognized, and it received the 2006 Prevention in Excellence Award from PreventionFirst. Badillo was also recognized in 2006 by theN.J. StateAssembly as Mother of the Year for the 11th District; she also received anAssembly resolution for her work with at-risk youth in the city of Long Branch.

"Having a home open 24 hours a day, seven days a week is a difficult task," Badillo said. "With it come real problems, serious problems, that teens face every day.

"It takes a toll on you emotionally because you cannot fix all problems for everyone. I feel such pain when I see one of my team members struggle, or hear of a youth that has made the wrong choice.

"I constantly speak to them about the struggle, the cycle and how we can break free," Badillo said, adding, "But there are so many circumstances that bring them to these decisions that it is not fair to judge. I never judge. I simply encourage our youths to persevere."

TeamJump Off is back in operation now, Badillo said, adding that the teamis still 30 members strong, but it will be losing five high school seniors this year.

"The good news is that these seniors are all college-bound," Badillo said. "After announcing we were reopening, within 24 hours we had 10 new teens at our door and we decided to accept youths ages 10 and up.

"Through experience, we know it is much easier to keep them involved and on track if they join the team at an early age," Badillo said.

She explained that TJO does not find its members or advertise.

"[The teens] find us," Badillo said. "They show up at our doors ready and eager to take responsibility for themselves and try to remain positive.

"It is all done through word ofmouth by the teens. They keep it running because they want to.

"The rules are simple," Badillo said, adding, "No violence, no gang activity, leave your colors at the door and no disrespectful behavior.

"It is that simple. Show respect for us and fellow members, and our home is yours," Badillo said.

Although TJO is reopening, Badillo said the teens never let the team go.

"We remain focused and devoted to one goal and one goal only," Badillo said. "To do our small part in breaking the negative cycles that our community has seen for generations and to encourage each other to take responsibility for ourselves.

"Our families in our community are working hard, sometimes three jobs to make ends meet," Badillo said. "The least we can do is help one another keep our children safe, productive and positive."