Speaking from his current home in Port St. Lucie, Florida, former Pineland resident Giovanni DeLarco remembers with fondness his years at the Pineland campus of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Youth Homes.
“It was great! They definitely had a positive impact on my life,” he said. “As soon as I got there, they began building me up physically and mentally, and I didn’t have that before.”
Giovanni, “Gino” to his friends, explained that he hadn’t been able to live with his family when he arrived at Pineland at the age of thirteen.
Pineland provided stability and instruction in a warm, welcoming environment. “The house parents were great and the tutors really helped me in school, for sure,” he said.
Although he left Pineland at age sixteen for military school, he still maintains contact with some of the staff who helped him in his early teen years. “I love Ms. Lula Neil! She and Ms. Martin helped me a lot in school,” he remembered. He was excited to be able to reunite with Ms. Lula at a sports event recently.
Gino has thrived since his years at Pineland, receiving certification as a Maintenance Technician through Turner Job Corps, a trade school in Albany. He works for a shutter installation company in Port St. Lucie and stays busy with his hobbies: traveling, home renovation and restoration, fitness, fishing and camping. Recently, he was able to help restore two homes built in the 1800s.
He credits Pineland for introducing him to some of his favorite activities, such as camping, hiking, and fishing, and remembers winning fishing tournaments held on campus. In fact, he still has the tackle box he won in a tournament there: a reminder of the good years he spent with people who took the time to “build up” a young boy.