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ABOUT US
Mission Statement
The ‘Reach Me’ Foundation is a non-profit organization, that is a faith-based educational and community support organization. Its aim is to enhance the educational and equitability level of youth and young adults by teaching fundamental ethics, values and successful life skills, and aid them by providing mentoring, academic tutoring, scholarships, leadership skills training, AODA prevention education, food and clothing assistance.
Vision
To reach young people from ages 10-21 years old, who lack the fundamental knowledge necessary to live a wholesome and productive life, and provide them with tools to excel in life and instill a desire to reinvest in their community and contribute to society as a whole.
Services
Services are provided in a church facility/multi-purpose setting. We accept both male and female youth. Our approach to recovery is an environment that is warm, friendly and nurturing, in an informal interactive setting. We provide one:
- Youth Counseling (individual and group)
- Academic Tutoring (individual and group)
- Computer Literacy
- The CARE Program (AODA Prevention Education)
- Mentoring/Leadership Skills Training (role-play activities as appropriate with a flexible program structure that meets their particular need)
- Recreational Activities (motivation is established by field trips, outings, martial arts training and cultural enlightenment)
- Basic Needs Assistance (i.e. school supplies, clothing, or food)
- Scholarship Opportunities (to enrich and empower youth educationally)
- Heath Maintenance/HIV Awareness (to teach and improve the nutritional dietary needs of youth)
- Youth Entrepreneurship (to train youth in basic business skills and career seeking tools)
- Bilingual Gang Diversion (provide educational options that divert youth from gang activities)
- Resource Referral Network (collaboration with community leaders and agencies to make a difference)
Our Motto is: “Bringing Knowledge, Wholesomeness and Values to our Youth for a better tomorrow…” These programs are designed to be implemented as a social model by groups with a mission to improve the lives of young people (i.e. churches, youth organizations, business organizations, schools, foundations, government agencies, etc.) Thus, the ‘Reach Me’ Foundation has assembled a resource pool of teachers, parents, counselors, and business professionals by its president and CEO, Dr. Glenda S. Smith-Lee.
The ‘Reach Me’ Foundation has created a research, scientific and spiritual-based model that uses six core values, which are:
Task 1 Establish disciplined learning environment: Creating a safe haven in which to live and learn is the initial task of this program. Depending on the environment, children may live in the survival mode and chaos. In order to change an individual, we have to first change the stimulus to which the individual is reacting. To this end, we will provide a safe, clean and orderly structure for youth to learn in a comfortable environment. Students participating in creating and maintaining the areas used for this program are an essential part of the program. This may involve cleanup, painting, and repairing. The object here is to instill ownership, teach responsibility, and provide a sense of self-pride.
Task 2 Self-Disciplined Lifestyle: ‘Reach Me’ Foundation programs will teach lifestyle skills and emphasize positive work ethics through the use of mentors/trainers of various professions. (i.e. small business owners, artists, cooks, printers, car wash business owners, lawyers, accountants, bricklayers, etc.) For example, when the Art Consignment Shop scenario is used as the program, session leaders will include small business owners, lawyers, accountants, personal appearance trainers, and artists. Class sessions will emphasize team building, work ethics, planning and commitments, situational ethics topics, tax requirements, comparisons of off-the-shelf bookkeeping computer software, letter writing and agreement skills. Similar topics are covered for the other business scenarios since the business type is just a tool to reach the interest and stimulate the mind of the student. Volunteers participate not only in class sessions of their particular expertise, but they must also be willing to serve as role models by sharing their personal and professional work history. They must also be willing to commit to mentor at least one of the students in the program.
Task 3 Promote Positive Self-Image: When people know that they are capable of making a difference, their self-image is improved. The problem with at-risk youth is a self-pride problem. People with a positive self-image contribute to their communities and families. They build instead of destroying. That is why one of the business scenarios is to set up an operation to feed the poor. Youth that exhibit at-risk behavior has the same disdain for the homeless as anyone else. The tragedy is that the homeless, the hungry, and the poor looks like them. The ‘Reach Me’ Foundation is about making a difference. All the business scenarios include the message that ‘You can make it happen.’ The Feed the Poor Operation allows the students to discover that this operation is mainly organization and planning. (i.e., locating excess food and getting it to the poor - not about money or about under-serving people.)
Task 4 Teach Networking: ‘Reach Me’ also has an objective to raise the students’ awareness of social networking with other businesses and entrepreneurs, which will increase their ability for achieving success. Knowing the latest business trends and marketing strategies will enhance the students’ awareness of positioning requirements.
Task 5 Tutor Basic Skills: Since professionals in all types of discipline implement the ‘Reach Me’ plan; we believe that excelling in academic basic skills is fundamental. We believe a young person who reads can learn to do anything. A young person who writes well can communicate whatever they need to in any field. A young person who is proficient in arithmetic can tackle whatever technical challenge comes their way in the world. Consequently, all of our scenarios emphasize excellence in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Task 6 Integrate Ethics and Values: Finally, ‘Reach Me’ aims to show students that the ethics and values taught in the Bible are the foundational requirements for success in life and in business, no matter what the discipline is. If moral ethics and values are eliminated or ignored, the greater the chance of incarceration, gang involvement, drug activity, and failure.
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