The founder was formerly incarcerated and while sharing a cell with a young man, he listened, talked, and taught (mentor) him. Then one day the young man said, "thank you preacher man" and he asked what for? and the young man said, "for taken up time (teaching, guiding, and mentoring) and listening to me." So from that moment on the founder realized his purpose and mission in life.
Therefore, from the personal rehabilitation work he's done within himself and his written plans for after he's released, he set out to accomplish his life's mission.
He got his GED, Certified as a Religious Educator, and a Certificate in Theology in Church Ministries while in prison.
Then he took some Supervisory/Management classes, got an Associate Degree in General Studies, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Services, and a Master of Science in Human Services Administration Degree after he was released.
He became a volunteer on the mentor steering committee of the Governor's Intervention Reentry Program, and as he studied the different phases of the program from preparing individuals to leave their institutions to return back to society.
He noticed a gap of service missing in the program that needed to be addressed which he calls "Mentor Support!"
While doing his undergraduate studies in Human Services, he read this quote "The Best Way To Success Is To Find A Need And Fulfill It!"
So, from his personal prison life experience, life mission, the gap missing in a reentry program, and his undergraduate studies quote, the "CITIZENS OF HOPE MENTOR SERVICES, INC" was created.
We are a 501c3 mentoring service organization that offers a comprehensive responsive mentor training called Citizens of Honor that provides life skills strategies, educational guidance, career workshops, and entrepreneurial workshops and community enrichment projects to system impacted individuals and reentry citizens to transition successfully back into society as law-biding citizens.
Statement: Our name means "HOPE!" Within hope we believe that every person can be a force for change.
Mission: To support and equip through mentoring presence system impacted individuals and reentry citizens to obtain a better life for themselves and their families.
Vision: To train future mentors to be deterrents to unlawful behaviors, to promote public safety, and reduce recidivism by 1% every 3 years.
Goal: To foster interdependence and community involvement with program participates through our "community enrichment project program," to promote community safety by helping others as part of the personal and social development of all living in our communities.
"The best way to success is to find a need and fulfill it!"
Every three months, we mobilize our teams of volunteers for our Community Enrichment Project to make a real difference in our communities.
Join us and see what can be accomplished when you volunteer with the Citizens of Hope Team to focus on serving our communities.
Recovering from the impact of covid our needs are
Volunteer Instructors for our training classes:
Anger Stress Management
Corrective Thinking
Effective Communication
Family Violence
Victim Impact
Positive Mental Attitude
Time Management
Educational Opportunity
Financial Economic
Constitutional and Legal Rights
Civil and Human Rights
Employment Engagement Networking (career workshop)
Entrepreneurial shops
Volunteer Staff
Website/Social Media/News Letter Host
Fundraiser/Event Coordinator
Grant Writer
Board members
Volunteers
Our communities are filled with system impacted individuals and re-entry citizens who are in need of support. We work to help them by providing mentoring services to help them, their families, and our communities.
Come connect with us and community members in new ways, through our give back to community through our Community Enrichment Project Program.
Which seeks to foster interdependence and community involvement between program participates and the community where they live.
While training future mentors to be deterrents to unlawful behaviors of youths and young adults, promoting public safety, and reduce recidivism by 1% every three years.