Through the Woodson Center’s support, we [Alliance of Concerned Men] have been able to change the culture of the community, transforming the mind and behavior of troubled youth so they can play the role of peace-keepers, leading the way for this generation and the next to live their best lives.”
~ Terrance Staley, Executive Director, Alliance of Concerned Men
Thanks to your commitment to the Woodson Center, we can provide vital resources to groups like the Alliance of Concerned Men (ACM), a non-profit that offers youth crime and violence intervention/prevention services to one of the most crime-ridden areas in Washington, DC. Over the last four decades they have been a part of our Community Affiliate Network (CAN), transforming the neighborhoods they serve into safer, more prosperous places.
Thanks to the ACM, young men such as 15-year-old Maunyae Worsley – who was once part of the problem, participating in illegal activities – is now focused on creating a better life and healthier future, not just for himself but for the other youth in his community.
Maunyae explained, “Without the Alliance of Concerned Men in my life, I would be a lost cause. My mentors pulled me away from the destructive path I was on, and helped show me that I had so much potential, and more to live for…
My mentors at ACM are always there for me, even when they are off the clock – ‘cause that’s when I often need their support and direction the most.”
ACM hosts conflict resolution groups and Zoom mentorship group meetings; in addition, mentors attend parent-teacher conferences, offer safe passage to school, job readiness training, and much more. Since his connection with ACM, Maunyae told the Center, “I now want to attend college, become an Architect, and continue to spread the message that has saved my life.”
What makes the work of ACM even more impactful is that many of the mentors, called “OG’s”, once led lives similar (some previously incarcerated) to those of the youth they now serve.
According to Maunyae, “ACM is more than just a mentorship and crime-reduction organization; it’s a brotherhood, a family.”
Your gracious giving to the Center enables us to fund organizations, like ACM that are creating these pathways to peace in some of the nation’s most violent neighborhoods. One the Woodson Center’s goals is to help grassroots organizations scale and grow, and ultimately become self-sustaining. ACM has now been able to reach this level, forming partnerships outside of the Woodson Center. They receive ongoing support from other foundations and sponsors, most recently with the Washington Wizards NBA team. Their impact has now gone beyond their community and is changing the whole city, becoming a model of public safety that can be followed across the country.
Read more about Alliance of Concerned Men:
https://allianceofconcernedmen.org/