![]() ![]() Sonny Lee: In the fall of 2020, Son of a Saint launched a strategic growth plan with the goal of doubling the number of mentees in our program (from 100 to 200) by January of 2022. How many boys do you take into the program in a typical year? How many boys are you working with altogether? Is there a waiting list? Kars4Kids: You bring boys aged 10-12 into your program each year, in addition to the boys you are already mentoring. It shaped my view of the world and underscored the need for mentors and father figures to provide a strong example for young men in the world. I grew up without his presence in my life, and that informed so much of my adolescence. My father passed away of a sudden heart attack when I was only three years old. I chose this work because it is part of my own experience and resonates on a personal level. The problem of fatherlessness certainly extends beyond just the Greater New Orleans area as well.įatherlessness is a generational cycle for many young men in our community due to systemic barriers (like overincarceration, under-resourced schools, and racial and socioeconomic inequity) that chronically deprive families of the economic, health, and educational resources they need to thrive. Sonny Lee: With nearly half of New Orleans’ children growing up in single-mother households, there is a significant need for our program that cannot be ignored. Are many boys in New Orleans, fatherless? Why? What made you decide to work specifically with fatherless boys? Kars4Kids: Son of a Saint works with fatherless boys in New Orleans. ![]() We talked to Son of a Saint Founder and CEO Bivian “Sonny” Lee III to learn more about this work: We find this organization more than worthy of our admiration. It stands out in the crowd of the hundreds of applicants seeking our assistance. Not many organizations would take this tack, and tend to overextend their resources to the point that they are no longer helpful to those they serve. We love the idea of maximizing resources by taking on only a modest number of new mentees each year. ![]() When we received the small grant application from Son of a Saint, and took a look at their website, we were pretty much blown away. It’s an impressive and comprehensive effort and it’s making a difference. No organization can take the place of a father, but Son of a Saint is filling in the gaps of need as much as program possibly could. Son of a Saint is a mentoring program for boys without fathers. ![]()
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