Stakeholders pledged their support Thursday as Orin Perry of The House of Mandate unveiled plans for the Downtown Coalition Initiative.

The stakeholders who offered support of the program ranged from political and judicial officials to those in education and municipal government.

The aim of the initiative is the promotion of law literacy, community safety, mental and physical health, justice, collaboration, and unification by facilitating a House of Mandate Youth Leadership Community Service Chapter Model.

Trey Lewis, of United States Senator Thom Tillis’s office, said, “Faith-based groups are always the first to address issues — disasters, emergencies. From my experience it is the faith-based organizations that have stood up first.”

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Tyrana Battle, assistant superintendent for Halifax County Schools, said, “We are happy to have this group to convene. When we look at our current needs assessments we know that the number one thing that we all have to come together on are our future leaders of tomorrow and that is our students.”

Battle said there needs to be alignment from all entities involved in the coalition. The school system has the Halifax County Teen Court program. “It offers students the opportunity to learn about the different areas in the judicial system. Not only by being a plaintiff or defendant but you can learn about being a bailiff, a clerk of court, Robert’s Rules of Order.”

David Harvey, representing state Representative Michael Wray, said, “He supports this cause. We’ve talked about this several times. I certainly support and will always support the reentry program and Michael Wray has always supported that.”

Jance Moody, principal of Roanoke Rapids High School Early College, said, “I think it’s a great opportunity.”

Roanoke Rapids City Manager Kelly Traynham said, “Everywhere we go people are short-staffed — they don’t have enough employees. As a government employer we typically do not hire individuals that have a background and I can just imagine that this program will be extremely beneficial and give employers a confidence level that would help to provide employment.”

Ginny Lewis, president of the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce, said, “Our students may come from a poor county but our students are not poor children. They are rich and all they need is that guidance, sometimes putting your hand on their shoulder and saying, ‘you can do this.’ You sometimes have to be the one to open those eyes. They need to realize that about themselves because they’ve never heard it from their beginnings.”

Halifax County Commissioner Linda Brewer said, “This meeting today is probably number one on anything I’ve ever attended with a hope that we can move forward. We have potential. We’ve got to forget about where we live, what the ZIP code is … where our political parties are. We have got to sit down and work together to improve the lives of our children, our veterans, our elderly.”

Superior Court Judge Brenda Branch said, “I’m excited the city manager is here, the chief, the sheriff. We’re starting from the ground. These are people that are going to be in the mix every day. Isn't it a wonderful feeling to be in a room where we have the chief and the sheriff to help?”

Branch called the program a great start. “I want to say kudos to the people that are here that we’re going to need as we go forward to get this done.”

District Court Judge W. Rob Lewis II said, “Many of the things we do are repetitive because people have certain problems. Being able to actually dispense justice sometimes is not justice. We need to do something different so the idea you’re posturing here is something to make it different. I can put somebody in jail and they’ll come out and do the same thing. We have to start thinking out of the box. That’s why I’m here and that’s why I support this and I’m so proud to be invited.”