Minnows and mentorship.
That’s what was on the agenda when a number of at-risk youth from the St. Cloud area took to the waters of Lake Sagatagan on Wednesday, June 9 thanks to the COP House Fishing Crew program.
The program is an offshoot of the St. Cloud Police Department’s Community OutPost (COP House) initiative in which officers are assigned to a two-story home on the city’s south side. They then help neighborhood kids with athletic teams, teach classes for area residents and provide in-house health and dental clinics among other activities.
The fishing program is designed to teach youth the fundamentals of the sport. The program is led by SCPD officers who are aided by other mentors from the community. The goal is not just to get the fish biting, but to provide mentorship opportunities as well.
Canoes for the event on Lake Sagatagan were provided by Les Voyageurs, a Central Minnesota-based nonprofit designed to “expand the horizons of young people as it challenges their physical, psychological, social and learning skills through an intense outdoor experience.” Program director Zach Fritz is a 2019 SJU graduate.
