Rodney Duckett & IMPAC Outreach: Making futures better
By Janna Zepp | Photos courtesy of Rodney Duckett
Returning to the outside world after serving time in prison is difficult enough for adults, but for children and adolescents coming out of the juvenile justice system, it is worse. Often, there are few resources to turn to for youth reentering their own communities after jail and that can create a cycle of juvenile recidivism that eventually leads to children and teens growing up to become adult offenders.
Rodney Duckett wanted to stop the destructive pattern he saw in Central Texas while he was still a soldier at Fort Hood in the late 1990s. At the time, he was Sgt. Rodney Duckett of the 1st Cavalry Division, 92nd Alpha Company at Fort Hood. The unit’s community philanthropic work involved being mentors to children and teens being held at the Bell County Juvenile Detention Center in Killeen. When the unit disbanded, Duckett, moved by what he personally witnessed and by the young people he successfully helped, continued the mentorship program without the Army and founded IMPAC Outreach in 2009.
“The program works to make sure kids are committed to being responsible and productive members of their communities, Duckett says, the passion for his cause evident in his voice. “These young people are up against so much already in society. Their futures are so much worse when they turn to negative and destructive behaviors and activities to fill time or cope with serious personal issues.”
IMPAC in the foundation’s name stands for Intelligent Minds Proving & Applying Commitment. It became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2011. As a community facilitator, IMPAC Outreach works as “the voice of the voiceless,” in Bell County, doing what it can to help those who need it most. The organization has worked with youth in juvenile detention centers, alternative schools, state schools, placement centers, foster cares, and internationally in Ethiopia. The work includes motivational speaking and group conversations about life challenges, as well as fun activities such as puppet shows, arts and crafts, musical theatre, dancing, teaching how to accept criticism graciously and the different types of criticism, and just simply having some place to go where trouble won’t find them.
“The kids we serve have not had the best home lives. Some of them are like cactuses: you hug them and want to cry,” Duckett says. “They need good, solid, dependable parenting role models and we do our best to fill whatever void they might happen to have in that regard.”
Duckett says acronyms are popular ways to help children and teens remember important concepts. One of the favorites at IMPAC Outreach is GRIND, which stands for Getting Ready Inside Now for Delivery. He says it is a way of thinking through problems or situations to solve them in mature, non-violent, or non-defeatist ways.
“I will see one of our kids and ask, ’Hey there! How are you doing?’ and they’ll respond with, ’I’m getting my GRIND on with my algebra!’ which means they are working on staying up to date on class work,” Duckett says. “It’s our code. The kids respond well to it.”
Working toward better individual futures also includes Duckett’s own career journey. While in the Army, he worked in supply and support. He later became a paramedic and eventually a registered nurse. Now, he is pursuing his Doctor of Nursing degree from the University of Incarnate Word.
“Our slogan is: ’No matter the circumstances, you control the outcome,’” Duckett says. “You cannot control what happens to you or who does what to you, but you can control how you respond.”
The organization also participates in local cultural heritage events such as A Taste of Africa, a celebration each July that brings African food, art, clothing, and culture to Killeen, and the Killeen Poetry Slam, which, this year, was organized by local poet Christopher Michael and hosted by IMPAC Outreach in collaboration with the Killeen Arts Commission.
“Part of our self-esteem is knowing where we came from,” Duckett says. “Cultural roots help shape our personal identities. A connection with our collective past helps us toward better individual futures.”
To learn more about IMPAC Outreach and its future, visit impacoutreach.org, call 254-598-0240, or email impacoutreach@gmail.com.
