Who We Are
S.H.I.F.T.I.N.G. Paths is an organization that was started for youth ages 1-21. We believe that children are the very essence of the future. Who they are tomorrow is essentially the outcome of how they are raised and nurtured today. Located in the Central Florida area, we will go above and beyond to provide our youth an empowering environment where they can fully embrace their identity and gain all the skills they need to be leaders of tomorrow. Our goals are to shape the way our youth live their lives and teach them the fundamentals of social responsibility, healthy living, and cultural acceptance, regardless of their upbringing.
What We Do
S.H.I.F.T.I.N.G Paths will focus on children whose parents are currently incarcerated. We will form partnerships with prisons in the State of Florida to focus on building family bonds. We will be an active support system to the youth who are dealing with having an absent parent due to them making a decision that changed not only their lives, but the lives of their children. We want to bridge the gap between the incarcerated parent and their children to create a healthy relationship not only while incarcerated but once released. We will offer resources to the parents, nearing their release to ensure they are on track to have a smooth transition back into society while also offering guided parental support.
​
We will also form partnerships with local school districts and the juvenile court system. It will be a direct response to the growing number of young people that are either falling through the cracks at school or are already entangled with the juvenile court system. The goal of the program is to identify youth who are going to have a turbulent transition to adulthood and offer a positive support system to avoid the risk that can detour them from the right path. The focus is slightly different at each level, but the goal remains the same; empower the young person to make positive changes in his/her life.
​
Over time, S.H.I.F.T.I.N.G Paths will create a learning environment that will be an invaluable resource to young people, the parents, aspiring mentors, and the community.
Why Was S.H.I.F.T.I.N.G. Paths Founded?
The thought of S.H.I.F.T.I.N.G. Paths first came to our founder, N. Bethay in 2005 when she was a 20-year-old correctional officer for the State of Florida. She encountered many different inmates while working in the prison system, all who had their own stories to tell. While doing her daily duties and often times working on the rec yard, she would have conversations with some of the inmates, who would tell “Ms. B.” about some of the things they were facing while serving time in prison. Some of the older men would constantly talk about their children and how it’s been months, or even years since they have been able to see their kids. Those serving a lengthier or life sentence would have feelings of guilt because they realized that they would be missing out on some important milestones in their younger children life by being incarcerated. On the weekends, and holidays Ms. B. had the privilege of working visitation. There she would see the many emotions that overcome not only the incarcerated parent, but the small children once it was time for the visit to be over. Some inmates would return to their housing dormitory and reality sits in that they now must wait for another visit to see their kids again. Seeing how it affected the men, she could only imagine how it impacted the smaller children.
On the other end, she would come in contact with a few Y.Os (Youth Offenders) who was also incarcerated who would tell her stories. She often wanted to know how someone the same age as her was sitting in prison and expected to do 13 years for robbery and it was their first offense. She would never forget what one teenager said to her, he stated “man Ms. B. I had to get it how I live. I ain’t have nobody to really take care of me like I wanted so I had to get it on my own.” She would often encourage him along with many others and let them know that their past doesn’t have to dictate their future. Yes, you made a mistake but learn from it and when you get out, stay out of trouble.
​
Fast forward, Memorial Day Weekend 2007 in Miami, Ms. B. was approached by a man and woman. It happened to be one of the YOs that was incarcerated at the prison she used to work at and his mom. He said to his mom “Ma this is Ms. B, she worked at Lake and this lady used to always encourage me and tell me how I don’t need to be in prison because I had my whole life ahead of me.” His mom thanked her and they both gave her a hug and left. It’s moments like that, that stayed with her and let her know that her voice was actually heard. Nyya is a firm believer that everyone makes mistakes and it’s up to the individual to learn from them. We all face roadblocks in life but we have to know that it’s always a detour that we can take to get us to where we want to be. We just have to SHIFT Paths.
So in 2023, Ms. B saw a need in her community and decided to finally move forward with something that God had given her many years ago. Our youth is lost, they feel like no one cares, and that they must face these challenges on their own. From the children who have absent parents who are currently incarcerated to those making mistakes that can lead them down the wrong path, S.H.I.F.T.I.N.G Paths is here to guide them through life’s roadblocks!