JIC volunteer Barbara Bain retires, reflects on working with youth
Published on February 17, 2026
The first time Barb Bain came through the imposing doors at the Juvenile Intervention Center and heard them clank shut heavily behind her, she said she felt a little sick.
In a short amount of time, however, she realized that the sound of that door closing behind her as she arrived to work with youth detained in the JIC made her feel like she was home.
“I thought it would not be a niche for me, but I fell in love with it,” Bain said. “I fell in love with the kids. I fell in love with the staff.”
Bain, a volunteer at the JIC since the late 1990s, is celebrating her 80th birthday in February and has recently retired from her volunteer post. She said her experiences working with JIC youth and staff have meant so much to her that she hopes to inspire future generations of would-be volunteers to take on the important work of serving.
“It has been an honor and a privilege, and it changed my life,” she said.
Bain first came to the JIC as a Columbus City Schools employee, working as a tutor. She went on to serve for more than two decades as a volunteer, creating and overseeing several programs that helped youth prepare for the GED tests, improve their reading skills, advance their learning after graduating high school, and more.
“I just saw more and more opportunities,” Bain said. “I thought, ‘Oh! We can do this. And oh! We can do that.”
She came to believe that education was the greatest deterrent to recidivism, so she threw herself into projects that made it possible for young people in detention to advance academically and in personal and social growth.
She said when choosing books to introduce to youth, she always looked for novels that centered on “a turn-around story.”
“All the books had characters who overcame obstacles,” she said.
She said the youth in the JIC surprised her with their eagerness to embrace what she was asking them to do.
“I was surprised at how willing they are to turn this into an opportunity for transformation, and I think that can happen when people are willing to see them differently,” Bain said.
JIC Superintendent Andrea Jones described Bain as beautiful inside and out.
“In a place where emotions run hot, she stayed steady,” Jones said. “She wouldn’t let negativity own the room and she wouldn’t give up on the person carrying it. She pushed you with belief and cheered you with care when you couldn’t find enough belief in yourself to keep going. She served with a sharp intellect and a heart of gold. That was her gift to the JIC – staff and youth alike.”
As she reflected on her many years of working with JIC youth, Bain said while the work was difficult and the challenges plentiful, she was grateful for all she was able to do.
“Having a purpose is really important to me,” Bain said. “I need to make a difference, and I got to make a difference every day.”
For anyone considering volunteering at the JIC, Bain had this advice:
“I’ve never had anybody say, ‘This was a waste of my time.’ Don’t miss this opportunity. Go into it with your eyes open and your heart open.”