Help and Volunteer

Ever looking for an organization to go and volunteer with? There are many different organizations all around in the world and even some close right in your neighborhood that you may not even know about. These are some great organizations that help with mentoring children, volunteering with community events and keeps the children on track.

1. Youth Empowerment Project

2. Goodwill Good Guides

3. Ekhaya Youth Program

4. K. Levy Foundation

5. The NASCAR Foundation

Every organization may be different, but they all serve one purpose and that is to help mentor, brighten and succeed young children into a better world. As I started learning about all of these different kinds of organizations and see the things they do, they made me want to become part of something big. I recently applied to the Youth Empowerment Project to be able to take time out of my day and help children better themselves through a better place.

All organizations are always looking for help and volunteer work to help with the children that are in these organizations. I feel as if this was my calling. I encourage you all to find an organization or foundation in your local community or city and be a part of something that could change a child’s life.

 

Education is the KEY

“Make our future bright. Shape our future right.” -Unknown

Sometimes a child may not listen to what you have to say but will learn by what they see. It takes children some time, longer than others, to realize that education is the key to life. If you lead examples by direction, the trail will never fade away from the person of a true eye.

About two years ago when I first started college, I was called back to my high school to talk to my JROTC family about my college experience. They were talking about how education is the key to life. I went and talked and gave them a speech on how the life of a college student is different than being in high school depending on parents.

Jumping forward, this past week I saw one of my old cadets that I haven’t seen since then and we was talking about what was she doing in life. She was telling me that she had dropped out of college, doing all sorts of bad things and how her life wasn’t together.

She then told me, and I would never forget those words, “You are the reason why I am back in college and on track. When you came and talked to our class, those words never left my brain and seeing all the stuff you do now inspire me to do better.”

The first thing that I could do was smile because you may not change everybody, but there will ALWAYS be ONE person who will listen and be watching. It’s not the tongue that speaks, but the action that shows. I am the next example for our youth generation.

The DO NOTs

I recently mentioned some of the things that I DO when I go to search for a mentor. What I am going to tell you now is some of the things that I DON’T do when I go to search for a mentor. I hope that this helps you out when you go to search for your mentor. Here are some things that I DON’T do when I search for a mentor.

1. Go for someone I already know

I like to have a mentor of someone who I do not know because they could be someone that could give me more teaching. Someone you already know may know what you go through and may not give you enough advice on something. Having someone you already have a relationship with may not go as far as you think.

2. Go for someone who is an easy person

Someone who is likely to go easy on you may not get you as far as you think. I wanted someone who I know can advance me to the next level and get me to my full potential. Having a person who is easy to you is like “taking the easy road out” and not being able to better yourself by taking on the challenges.

3. Go to someone who life is always negative

Everybody life is not perfect and I get that, but I want someone who has a positive lifestyle. I didn’t want someone who life is always bad because then they will make your life bad and lead you down the wrong road. And believe me, if the person has a negative life then their personality won’t be good and I didn’t want that either.

4. Go for someone who have no experience in their field of mentoring

I didn’t want to go to someone who didn’t have the experience in my field of mentoring. Since I mentor children, I wanted to find someone who has had the experience with children before and know how they are. Going to someone who may not have children or haven’t been around children may not teach me enough that I would need to know then a person who has been with children before.

The DO’s

Let’s just say that you want to have a mentoring relationship with someone and you just don’t know where to start. Finding someone to be a good mentor to you is one of the important parts of the mentoring process. There are a lot of people out there in the world that you may want to choose, but choosing the right one can be hard. You want someone with a good spirit, but one that can teach you the styles of communicating, learning, and passion. Here are some things that I DO when I search for a mentor.

1. Someone with Time Management

I wanted to find someone who I know have good time management. If anytime that I need them, I know they would be right there to help me. If someone isn’t able to give you their time then why waste it on them? Time management is important to me because, in order for the person to be able to mentor you, they will have to make spare time in their life to make time for you.

2. A Good Listener

I want someone who I know can listen to any of my problems when I have them. I want them to have a desire and the willingness to listen to me. A person who listens well can give you the knowledge to be able to help in any given situation.

3. A Pusher

 I am always a “go-getter” and a fighter because I do so much and I never keep still. I wanted someone who I call “a pusher” and what I mean by that is someone who will never give up on me and to keep pushing me to do better and greater things. They have to keep me encouraged and lift with praise to keep me at a high standard.

4. Being Active

I like to see people being active and helping out in so many things. I wanted someone who is very active in his or her community. I am a person who always had a busy schedule and never once stop moving because I am always doing something. Being active shows that you are willing to do more than what is expected.

 

Back on Track

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” -Proverbs 22:6

   Children are the most wonderful thing a family could have. As they grow, they are trained to become successful and grow up to the man or woman that they were meant to be. All children want to do is to make their parents proud of them.

This young man came up to me one day this week and was telling me that he feel that his parents then gave up on him. This young man has been a trouble person at school, bringing home bad grades, and has been at least three times to the juvenile center. He is worried that it is too late to gain his parents support. His question was to me was that, “Eric, what can I do to make them proud of me again?”

My three word advice to him was, “Fix your mistakes.” Sometimes children don’t understand that parents “give up” on their children so they learn from those mistakes. They have to go and look back at what they done to change what they will do in the future.

He called me Saturday evening and told me that he had applied for a job and got called for an interview on Monday. He told his parents and they told him, “It’s not that we gave up on you, we wanted you to show us that you can.” Parents will always love their children no matter what they do because every child is a gift from God.

A Family Reunion

Memories. Laughter.  And tears of joy.  This past Thursday, St. Rose Elementary recently held an “St. Rose Primary reunion.” This reunion was to re-create the memories and share the love of the past teachers, staff, administrative and students who stepped foot at was used to be, St. Rose Primary.

I am a alumni of St. Rose Primary and St. Rose Elementary. It was good to see a lot of teachers that I have never thought I would have seen again. With the two hours we had, it was a lot of laughter, memories and tears. I even had my old 3rd grade teacher make me cry because she was the one that got me through it all.

This was something that was worth needed for the community.  If you or your children school ever have a school reunion, my advice to you would be to please go!  Its great to see how much of a bond that my S.R.E family have.  We can never forget the memories, the good times nor the teachers that got us to where we are now, because… ONCE A DRAGON, ALWAYS A DRAGON!

Striving for Excellence

 

Photo Credit: ACM

    Teach… Guide… Encourage… Inspire.  Here in my community we have some great kids that are reaching the full potential to becoming something great. This young man has been named his school, “2016-2017 Student of the Year.” I remember when I was younger, I have always wanted to become “student of the year,” but as I look back as what this young man has worked for, I now realize why I never got it.

    This young man has maintained a 4.0 grade point average for the last three years, is in the gifted program, and also is in some extracurricular activities at school including  Jr. Beta Club, Robotics Club, and 4-H plus volunteers in the community. Back when I was in middle school, I didn’t do much as he did.

   Every child has the ability to be “excellent.” As we teach our children as they grow, they will become better. As we guide them through the obstacles, they will learn to dodge the future ones. And when we encourage them to keep doing good, they will inspire us keep doing better.

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino

 

 

 

 

Honoring Enjoyable Moments

   Take a break. Relax your mind. Regenerate your body with some spare time.  This weekend, the community center welcomed all kids to come and enjoy some “fun time” with the adults. This gives children a time to relax from school and a chance to forget problems they may be dealing with in life.

I remember when I was younger, my tutor used to give me a break from my school work because I was so stressed. I used to study a lot because I needed my grades up. One day, he told me, “Eric, today will not be working on homework, you are going have to have some fun today.” He took me to the library where the workers were playing games with the children and I can honestly tell you that it was worth a day.

My mind was so focused on school work that I needed a break from it. Just like children, they need a break in their life too. We don’t know what children go through in life, but if we take a day out of our lives and put towards them, we can spare the mind of a child.

A Suicide Problem

“People who die by suicide don’t want to end their life, they want to end their pain.”    -Unknown

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 44,193 Americans die by suicide each year.

About a year ago, a friend of mine and a “brother” to me, who I used to go to high school with, committed suicide. He used to come to me whenever something was bothering him or if he just needed to talk.  He was dealing with so much things. The problems have got so bad to where he decided to shoot himself. When i first found out about it, I was devastated.

Just the other day, this young man sent me a message saying, “The voices are in my head, they won’t leave me alone.” I just want to slit my wrists and sleep for ever. The nightmares won’t leave me alone, I need help. I need you.” 

This was the scariest thing that I have ever had to deal with. I’ve talked to this young man for hours about the problems he was having in his life. I’m the first that he comes to because he looks up to me. I am a hero to him. Now, instead of trying to commit suicide, he is finding other ways to help him cope with his problems. Plus, he wants to go back to school and get his G.E.D and go to college to further his life.

Bad Behavior

Tough love can hurt but can spare the mind of a child. 

All kids misbehave at some point in their childhood lives, and when they do, the first thing we tell ourselves is that, “they are the worst children in the world.” I was always the good child who never did anything wrong and was always rewarded for doing good. But as i look around the neighborhood and watch all the kids play, I sense like our younger generation are getting out of hand.

. This young man have been having problems at home and at school. I have talked with him almost everyday by helping and encouraging him to do better and really show him how bad behavior can affect his home and school environment. He is a real art piece to work with. We both take on challenges to overcome these obstacles for him to reach farther.

All a child need is someone that can show them the way. A way that can make his days live longer than ever.