The Story of Encourage Me I’m Young...
Inspired by the Journey of Calvin T. Mann, President & Founder
Written by: Heather Hetheru Miller
Written by: Heather Hetheru Miller
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Tel: 988
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Suicide Hotline
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It was the summer of 1992 and I had taken a job as a childcare worker for my friend’s home daycare service. I was 25 with a three-year old son of my own, so I already had my hands full at home. Now, I was caring for 12 additional rambunctious kids. I think a lot of parents know that when you work with young kids as much as I was, you must become perceptive very quickly to keep up. It’s like you have developed superpowers to sense what they need as soon as they need it. In turn, they develop a trust in you to love and protect them from things that scare or confuse them. It was just like this when I took up my daycare job, and I made sure to take both their trust and my new role very seriously.
I was enjoying my job and the children I cared for, but I never could have known how the experience would change my life forever by beginning the journey of Encourage Me I’m Young. My experience working with those children from the heart of Ferndale, MI helped me understand exactly what we owe to the children of our communities. I learned that it wasn’t good enough to sit idly by and wait for children to need our help; instead, we needed to take an active role in their development. Getting from this realization to the youth development program EMIY is today was a long journey, but the most pivotal moment happened during the summer of 2004. |
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EMIY INC.
Encourage Me I’m Young (EMIY) Inc., a non-profit 501c3 based in Detroit is a grassroots volunteer driven organization dedicated to legacy. We have supported, developed, and nurtured children and fathers to reach their fullest potential since 2007. As you may have witnessed, the family, community, and country is facing one of our biggest social, physical, and spiritual challenges of our time. There is a clear attack on the family unit targeting the father and child. We use our voice for advocacy and our passion in programs to drive our work to “build families through developing boys and encouraging fathers.”
MISSION
Our work centers on restoring and strengthening the family structure through developing boys and encouraging fathers using prevention and intervention activities.
VISION
Through awareness, advocacy and action EMIY uplifts and encourages youth of all ages to become compassionate, intelligent, and logical decision makers while embracing their abilities to become the future leaders of encouragement and empowerment.
OUR WHY & HOW...
Our Advocacy, Awareness, Action Prevention and Intervention Activities
Awareness
Advocacy
Action
OUR WHY & HOW...
Our Advocacy, Awareness, Action Prevention and Intervention Activities
Awareness
- Smash Suicide Campaign
- EMIY National Respect Day
- Reading IS Life
- Mental Wellness Referrals with CNS Healthcare
Advocacy
- Target Males 3-24
- Serve on Policy/Advocacy Groups that support males
- EMIYTV Podcast
- EMIY Theme Song
- EMIY In School Programs
- EMIY Annual Pancake Breakfast
- EMIY Man 2 Man Youth Summit
Action
- EMIY Mobile Mentoring Bus
- EMIY Mentor Training Academy
- EMIY Boys Steps
- EMIY Future Leaders
- EMIY ELITE
- BOSS Session – mothers & grandmothers (Building Our SonS) and Fathers' Day - for fathers and father figures
- EMIY All YOU Got Football Camp and EMIY AAU Basketball
- EMIY Coalitions of Promise and Collaborations
- Early Workforce Readiness
OUR PROGRAMS
EMIY Future Leaders (EFL) & Good Fathers Only (GFO)
EMIY Future Leaders Program (EFL) is a 14 week peer mentoring training designed to draw out the natural talents and leadership abilities of boys ages 8-13. The program design is built upon the 40 development assets identified by Search Institute. EFL develops leadership skills as a basis for prevention and intervention. Our leadership strategies assist youth to envision a positive future and plan the necessary steps they need to reach their goals. GFO (Good Fathers Only) was created to respond to the need to support and encourage men and fathers to be more active in the lives of children. GFO trains and supports men and fathers to heal and provides the skills needed to parent more effectively. We share support and resources for married, co-parenting, divorced, and/or single fathers and grandfathers. Ultimately by taking these steps we rebuild and strengthen the family structure through improved communications.
Advocacy through Action
April 6, 2016 marked Respect Day Ground Zero. Launched in Detroit and growing beyond its boundaries of geographic, age, race, ethnicity, economics, and social status this movement is a result of EMIY Inc. taking action to empower and challenge every caring and concerned child, teen, and adult from all walks of life to EMERGE! We advocate for individual accountability and action. Starting with a simple pledge this approach to be accountable for our own words, beliefs, and deeds by design will bury the hate and raise RESPECT.