NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Sometimes all you need in life is someone to help steer you in a better direction.
That’s what Thursday’s press conference with officials from Hampton and Newport News was all about — a mentorship initiative calling out to men to help guarantee a better future for the youth.
Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck, Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones and officials from both cities came together to announce the call to action.
Tuck said it’s targeted towards helping young Black boys, telling us there’s two main reasons behind that.
He said the demographic has a potential vulnerability for getting involved in crimes and because there is not an abundance of role models in the Black community.
Jones said they’re looking for men with servant’s hearts and time to invest in the youth.
The initiative specifically focused on getting mentors for middle school aged boys.
Tuck explained the importance of that, referencing a past mentorship program that targeted about 100 young Black boys that were entering the sixth grade.
“They were trying to find mentors for them,” he said, “the idea being that if we could get them through that critical middle school period that when they got into the high schools we had the academies and there would be more or less positive peer pressure.”
More information
Information on how to become a mentor in Hampton
Information on how to become a mentor in Newport News
