Black Self Help Information

African-American organizations jointly hold fundraiser

African-American organizations jointly hold fundraiser

For the third year, the 100 Black Men and Coalition of 100 Black Women organizations joined forces to raise money to buy toys and presents for Clark County schoolchildren, through a Christmas party Dec. 6 at The Venetian. More than 300 people attended.

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Pauling said the 100 Black Men focus on mentoring, education, economic empowerment, health and wellness. He added that the mission is to serve the community. The group’s motto is, “What they see is what they’ll be,” when it comes to mentoring the children.

The Coalition of 100 Black Women also mentors in Clark County schools, advocates programs to place women in corporate positions, and conducts seminars on HIV, economic development and finance.

100 Black Women President Allen said both organizations plan to partner on more programs in the future, given this project’s success.

100 Black Men of America focus on health and wellness issues

 

The 100 Black Men of America focused on the awareness and solutions for a number of health and wellness issues impacting African Americans at its 27th Annual Conference held in New Orleans. 

Under the theme: Optimizing Health and Wellness: Body, Mind and Spirit, more than 2,100 attendees, including many youth, heard experts on panels and in workshops, learned about new mentoring and education techniques, and recognized best practices to improve health personally and in their communities.

“Health and wellness is crucial to the youth we serve through our ‘Mentoring the 100 Way Across a Lifetime.’ Our efforts, that also include education and economic empowerment, are not nearly as effective if the youth we mentor are not healthy and well,” said Curley M. Dossman, Jr., chairman of 100 Black Men of America, Inc.

“So we are intensifying our efforts to raise the consciousness of the state of health in the African American community, and enhancing our programs’ impact in this area.”

The health state of African Americans was put in the spotlight since there is greater incidence of prostate cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and HIV/AIDS for them versus the general population. Further, African Americans are more likely to die from heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke than Caucasians. Obesity and high blood pressure are also significant issues that are affecting Black youth. 

In his conference keynote address, Dr. John E. Maupin Jr., president of Morehouse School of Medicine, challenged the audience to help change the health and wellness culture of the African American community saying, “We are out of balance, out of order, and almost out of time.”

Big Brothers Find Recruits In Barber Chairs

Big Brothers Find Recruits in Barber Chairs

Brandon Brown has no problem shaking hands with a stranger and talking about something near and dear to him: being a Big Brother mentor to his Little Brother Robert.

Brown takes his involvement with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati a step further, volunteering on the agency’s African American recruitment board. Their latest campaign to recruit African American men to volunteer as Big Brothers might seem unique: they reached out to Tri-State barbershops and asked to drop off information about volunteering that the shops could share with customers. Then, on a Saturday in October, Big Brothers and their Little Brothers, along with recruitment staff from the agency, spent time at the barbershops talking with customers about getting involved as a mentor.

Brown talked with customers at Preferred Cutz in North College Hill. Some of them worried that being a mentor would take too much time. He says, “I told them that the time can be ‘customized’ to their lifestyle. In the site-based program, it’s one day a week for an hour. This worked for many guys because they lead busy lives. We all do.”

Being a Big Brother himself, Brown could tell the men at Preferred Cutz that they might find they get a lot out of being a Big Brother. He told us, “Knowing that my Little Brother Robert is expecting me each week drives me. Recently, we were talking and I asked him who he admired and he included me in the line-up because I ‘had his back.’ That was priceless!”

At the end of the day, 17 men at Preferred Cutz asked for more information about becoming a Big Brother.

More at the link provided.

CBM Starts Mentoring Program In Oakland

Mentoring Proram for Young Black Men Starts at Montera Middle School

Concerned Black Men (CBM) Program Manager Lance Dennis sat at a table Tuesday in the multipurpose room at Montera Middle School going over his lesson plan for the day.

Every Tuesday and Thursday for 45 minutes, Dennis mentors sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade boys with weekly life skills sessions that also address career exploration.

Currently, there are about 15 boys enrolled in the program at each grade level, attending weekly group sessions that address etiquette, healthy eating, exercise, and community service projects.

The program has outside funding and does not cost the school or parents anything to participate.

“We were looking for a school that matched our mission, and Principal Tina Tranzor was very receptive to what we are doing,” said Dennis. “Some of these students are dealing with issues that many adults have to face like domestic disturbances. So we want to empower them and make positive impacts on their lives.”

More at the link provided