Children are at the core of everything we do. When it comes to most calamities of the human condition, kids are always the ones that suffer most. This year, we are doing a special drive to not only shop for the kids of those we lost, those who lost their battles with addictions, those lost to violence on the streets we work, or the kids of those who are missing on said streets, we are also sending mentors to them. In their homes, where they live.
We all acutely understand that when shaping a child’s future, presence matters far more than presents, but this time of year, the children of parents lost to the things mentioned above are further isolated from their peers and further driven towards the same path that took their parents.
To that end, this drive funds not only “presents” in the literal sense, but also helps fund the “presence” of mentors and “battle buddies” to go into the communities we serve and take these little dudes and dudettes to do some fun stuff. There’s no better way to end the bullying many of these kids endure than for their peers to see them hanging out with some true American bad asses.
Our approach may be unorthodox but we’re sick of the status quo because it simply doesn’t work. We’ve taken the best parts of programs from around the country that have quantifiable metrics that reduce youth recidivism and we’re creating a model that we believe, and have anecdotally seen, will create a staggering drop in the kids we serve following in their parents footsteps.
We’re honored to have your support!