VIDALIA, La. &045; In the Seventh Judicial District Juvenile drug court Monday afternoon, Judge Kathy Johnson called in some support.

It was not from local law enforcement or even from the social workers who have been working with the court since January but from ministers in the parish.

&uot;We need some mentors,&uot; Johnson said of the program, currently counseling about 20 students.

Johnson decided to get the churches and ministers involved.

In the court, the students receive community service hours they must serve for violations, such as a positive drug test.

One of the ways to get rid of some community service hours is to go to church, which actually counts as two-for-one hours for the juveniles.

&uot;We can counsel with them, but they have so much off time,&uot; Johnson said. &uot;They need a different support system.&uot;

Not only church services, but Johnson asked the churches to find community service work for the juveniles.

For example, a few weekends ago some of the students helped with Feed the Hungry, based out of the Vidalia First Assembly of God Church.

That is where the ministers, churches and their congregations come in.

&uot;They need to know someone cares,&uot; Johnson said, and churches can provide the support for the juveniles.

The Rev. Willie Birdon, president of the tri-parish ministerial alliance, was impressed with the drug court system and was eager to help.

&uot;We’re losing too many of our children with drugs,&uot; Birdon said. &uot;Really, I want to help by just changing their lives.&uot;

Students may not understand how important it is now to do the right thing, Birdon said, but the church can throw its arms around the juveniles.

He said the key to the success of the court is love.

Birdon will ask the rest of the alliance to &uot;roll up their sleeves and go to work,&uot; he said.

&uot;I think we can help them by having a positive influence on their lives,&uot; he said.

That is what Johnson is hoping as well.

But, Birdon said, the whole community needs to be supportive of the court.

&uot;I think the whole community can see where this generation is headed,&uot; he said. &uot;The community as a whole can change it.&uot;

Johnson is not looking only to the church community but the community as a whole for support for the court.

&uot;You have to try different things until you touch upon what affects their lives,&uot; Johnson said.