Meet the Red Frogs: They're here to help you sober up

Downtown Windsor, Ont., will soon see a group of smiling Red Frogs on the streets. And no, they aren't a new species of amphibian, but rather a group of young people whose mission is to "provide a positive peer presence in alcohol-fuelled environments where young people gather."

The group's appearance in downtown Windsor was the idea of Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino, who had the thought of providing the resource as a means to help get citizens home hydrated, safe and cared for after a long night out.

"Red Frogs," named after the Allens brand gummy candy popular in Australia, was started in 1997 on the Gold Coast during "schoolies week," the equivalent of what Canadian universities would call "frosh week."

The idea was in response to the perceived need to have a "designated sober person" in an environment with heavy drinking, to help care for and be a resource to young people coming into the university or college party scene. They were introduced in Canada in 2011, and now operate in 17 campuses across the country. 

Young adults volunteer to participate in the group, which commits to a "peer-to-peer" resource for those who have been out drinking. Typically, they'll provide free water, snacks, a walk home, and in some cases, an ear to listen. 

Nelly Latchman first heard about the idea after meeting the lead of the program in Canada at the time, "boss frog" Kevin Schlechter, who is now the regional director of the Canadian Bible Society.

"Just hearing them chat about it, knowing I was going to move to Windsor, it was just on my heart that that's exactly what I want to do [here]," said Latchman.

Latchman is now the regional coordinator for Windsor's Red Frogs, and has been on campuses with a team of five to twenty other young people during frosh week since 2018. She brought the program to Windsor after talking to the University of Windsor Students' Alliance (UWSA), and they've become a staple resource for the school since. 

"I approached them and said, 'hey, this is what we can offer'," Latchman said. "We can do hydration stations free of charge, we can do welcomes, we just want to serve students." 

The Red Frogs' presence at the University of Windsor during frosh week is typically prior to the UWSA's Walksafe program starting up, which is often a few weeks after the first day of classes. A similar idea to Red Frogs, the program offers a companion to escort a student back to their residence if they are alone at night or don't feel comfortable walking on campus by themselves.

"That program is student-led and student-run, so it [isn't] in place for welcome week," said Latchman.

Beyond ensuring people are hydrated and have a walk home if they needed, the program also aims to encourage a more sober lifestyle.

According to their website, part of Red Frogs' mission is also to "promote alcohol-free and/or diversionary activities that engage young people in these environments." 

Latchman says there's a benefit to having "sober eyes" in these situations.

"[We know] student safety is a big issue, and [want to] be able to [also] reduce harm where we can, prevent sexual assault where we can," says Latchman.

"Police are there, security is there, but sometimes people can get missed. And so we're just there as a positive peer presence to notice, 'hey, that girl doesn't exactly look like she wants to talk to that guy,' or 'that guy looks like he's going to go walk by himself down a sketchy sidewalk, maybe he wants some company.'"

A Windsor city councillor, who used to work security at the university, became aware of the Red Frogs years ago. Renaldo Agostino says now that he is in his position as downtown councillor, he wanted to see what it would look like to have this group in the area. 

"I've been using Red Frogs for many, many years," says Agostino, who cited his experience inviting the group to festival events he would help run as a concert promoter in the past. 

"I said to myself, if I could ever bring them downtown, I'd love to do that."

Agostino reached out to Latchman and asked if the group would be interested in being a presence downtown the first weekend of September, expected to be a busy night on Windsor's Ouellette Avenue with the arrival of new university and college students coming to the city. Being outside of a campus setting is a new step for Latchman's team.

"[Agostino] loved us from the start. A couple of months ago he gave me a phone call to ask [if I was still doing Red Frogs] and what it would look like to bring this downtown to serve the people there," said Latchman.

According to Agostino, it's a "test pilot" that may evolve into more frequent nights that include the presence of Red Frogs within the city. 

"I think we're going to see [how this works]," said Agostino. "What we're doing is adding more people to the team [out there]. Whether [someone] just needs a bottle of water at the end of the night, or to get some pastries because they want to sober up a bit, it's a great system that can de-escalate so many situations."

Latchman says being downtown will look slightly different for the group, as they won't be walking people home in that setting, but rather just becoming a friendly face and providing hydration and a chat to those who need it.

Latchman says that Red Frogs is a referral program, not intended to take the place of professional services amidst crisis situations.

"We're just a friendly force," she said. "We don't take the place of EMS, we don't take the place of police, we don't take the place of security. We always refer to them." 

Agostino believes that this model will play a role in improving a typical night downtown for those services, as well.

"[This is] great value to not only the people visiting downtown," he said. "It's going to add great value to the police and the security guards who will have some help. And that's what I'm trying to do."

Red Frogs will have a "hydration station" and some pastries on the evening of Sept. 2 in downtown Windsor on Maiden Lane.

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