Robert Cornegy Jr., City Councilman of the 36th Council
Rebekah Christie
Keenan "Special" Bristol, President/Founder of Music Brings Life
Our Story
The National CARES Mentoring Movement, founded as Essence CARES in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, is committed to ending the crisis with our vulnerable youth now. Before we began our work, there was no national infrastructure in place to engage and sustain desperately needed Black men and women volunteers. Operating in nearly 60 U.S. cities, under the leadership of devoted volunteer community leaders, CARES is determined to ensure that all Black children needing guidance and role models are surrounded by a circle of caring, supportive adults who are committed to volunteering just one hour a week of their time as mentors. The CARES Mentoring Movement has been impacting the lives of youth across the country since 2005. The mission of Brooklyn CARES Mentoring Movement is to collect, connect and direct caring and able adults to our vulnerable children. We fill the pipeline of existing local mentoring organizations with volunteers who commit one hour per week to mentoring a child. It can be the difference in a youth filing out college applications or dropping out of high school. Studies show that when youth are engaged in mentorship programs they are less likely to participate in risk taking behaviors. Mentoring makes a difference.
