Love. Responsibility.  Integrity.  Manhood.  These are but a few of the values we instill in these young men.  While we celebrate and applaud any group that is genuinely helping kids, we know that what we give these young men is something different.  It stems from a heartfelt desire to see these kids succeed.  Not for our personal fame, glory, or riches. All time is volunteered.  Every dime collected goes back into the group.  We often pay for snacks and trips out of our own pockets.  It is our belief that if just one member succeeds because of the lessons we’ve shared, this entire endeavor will be worth it, 100 times over, even if no other person ever knows.  That is what makes us different.

Another difference is evident in one of our mottos, “We keep it real”.  That means that we don’t “sugar coat” and dance around topics with our kids.  We make it clear to these young men that we are trying to pass hard earned life lessons onto them, so they don’t have to make the same mistakes.  We often tell them that the “street life”, while flashy and alluring, only ends up in two places— dead or in jail.  It is this candor that they connect and respond to.  We don’t talk “at” them, but we talk “to” them.  With the love we show, comes a sense of responsibility and accountability, not only to the mentors, but more importantly to their fellow members and themselves.  Again, that is the difference.

Group Meetings

Mentor group sessions are held every Thursday at Janie's Garden, in Sarasota(Newtown area). The meetings start at 6:00 pm. The mentors, or “Uncles” as they are called, volunteer their time each week at the meetings.  Our mentors include Police Detectives, Physicians, Retired Executives, Teachers, and Financial Advisors, just to name a few.  So we have a wide base of experience and knowledge to share. However, the thing all the mentors have in common is a sincere desire to help our children.  We talk about topics ranging from current events in the news, peer pressure, and respecting your elders.  We also have guest speakers from every facet of life; police chiefs, public officials, public speakers, professional athletes, entertainers, and just concerned citizens.  We also occasionally go on field trips to places like sporting events and concerts, but also to “different” places like the theater and opera.  We feel it is important to get them “out of the box”, to help give them a wider viewpoint on life.  However, no matter what activity is planned, each session opens and ends with a prayer.

We invite male youth, 8 yrs and older, that believe they can be, strong, intelligent, responsible leaders of tomorrow, to attend and take this journey with us.