S.E.E.D - Servants Endeavoring to Empower and Develop - Male Mentoring Program

E E Jenkins Ministries
Servants Endeavoring to Empower & Develop (SEED)
Male Mentoring Program

History

In October 2008, E E Jenkins Ministries (EEJM) introduced the Servants Endeavoring to Empower and Develop (SEED) Male Mentoring Program to the community through the Community Youth Fair. Since then the SEED Male Mentoring Program has had a positive effort in the City of Trenton. Our mission is to prepare our youth for greatness as they make changes in their environment through self-awareness, social etiquette and individuality. Our vision is to cultivate the mindset of our youth and establish them as role models in their community through change. Our purpose is to guide, counsel, and fellowship with the younger population; train them in the ways of the world and life, giving them the tools to transition into responsible and successful young men of integrity. Through our objectives, the SEED Male Mentoring Program has succeeded in changing the mindset of our youth and actively participating in community programs.

The objectives of the SEED Male Mentoring Program are as followed:

• To encourage young men to excel and succeed
• To encourage and develop spiritual growth
• To develop confidence, leadership and cooperation
• To expose young men to positive environments and activities
• To encourage our youth to reach for higher educational endeavors.

A Youth Development Program is needed to decrease the negative mind-set experienced by the youth in today's society. In doing so, the organization can aid youths in identifying the negative mind-set that can lead to our society's social ills, crimes, incarceration and poor family planning and poverty. In order to change our communities, attention must be given to change the mind-set of our youth and replace their negative thoughts and practices with positive ones. In doing so, will stimulate and encourage acceptable behaviors.

As the organization strives to develop social awareness, the SEED Male Mentoring Program continues to bridge the gap between youth and the elderly by maintaining contact to various nursing homes in the Trenton Area. There the participants visit and interact with the elderly population. Some visits include providing programs celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. birthday, providing gifts of love through our teddy bear drive, and interacting with the elderly during game their sessions. The interaction with the elderly has provided the our participants with a connection and better understanding of lives our elderly population have lived and experienced through their lifetime as well as the elderly participants providing knowledge, insight and encouragement to the younger generation.

The participants of the SEED Male Mentoring Program also aid in feeding the disadvantage at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) and participated in the housing development with the Habitat for Humanity project in Trenton, NJ. Through this endeavour, the SEED participant has gained additional understanding and compassion of those who struggle to provide for themselves and their families the basic needs for survival. Through TASK our participants have also identified the lack of education some of our residents lack and have conducted a book drive for TASK to assist in their literacy program.

In August 2009, organizers of the SEED Male Mentoring Program hosted the "Passing of the Torch" Retreat in the Poconos partial funding from the V-Free Grant through the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. The 3-day event allows an opportunity for the participants to gain additional insight from established and responsible male mentors in their communities. This opportunity allow additional bonding experiences where black men shared their feeling, thoughts and knowledge as it relates to health, finances, education, peer pressure, violence, respect, family obligations and their role in the family.

Since October 2009, the SEED Male Mentoring Program has established a partnership with the Mercer County Community College SMILE/Gear-Up Program in Trenton, NJ. There the facilitator mirrors workshops on bullying, individuality, social responsibility, confidence and leadership to those in the SMILE/Gear-Up program. The SMILE/Gear-Up Program has mirrored our nursing home, TASK and volunteering efforts for the Habitat for Humanity projects to give their students a sense of responsibilities to their communities.

January 2011 and 2012, the organization hosted the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Breakfast. This event allowed the organization to finance college tours in Atlanta GA. There the participants visited Historical Black Colleges and Universities, toured a radio station and dined at various black owned restaurants.

The SEED Male Mentoring Program has also hosted a Youth Development Day and invited youth from different schools, churches and organizations to aid youth in discovering their leadership potential. Facilitated by the Rutger 4H of Mercer County, the event established indoor and outdoor activities on leadership development, communication, conflict resolution, team building exercises and field and rope obstacle course. The objective of this event was to provide participants with various skills to aid in identifying individual leadership skills and potential, the importance of communication, how to resolve conflicts and to develop an understanding the importance of working as a team to obtain various results.

Organizers of the SEED Male Mentoring Program have reached out to the young males in the detention center before it closing in 2011. Providing life skills training in preparation of their release back into society.

October 2011, the SEED Male Mentoring Program was the recipient of the 2011 New Jersey Black Issues Convention Community Change Award in Education.