The Services Offered By Peace In The Hood

Khalid helps one of our afterschool students, Stefon Lykes with his homework.

Peace In The Hood has been key in successfully implementing the following programs:

• Mentoring – Youth including children of incarcerated persons and children with one or both parents deceased or who do not live with their birth parents. Most of our youth in the program are at-risk and high-risk.
• Rites of Passage – Drug, tobacco, alcohol, violence and pregnancy prevention.
• Counseling by LSW/Anger Management and Conflict Resolution
• Employment Training and Employment Placement
• Basic Investing Skills
• Entrepreneurship
• Homeownership/Financial Literacy
• Cultural Specific and Cross-Cultural Diversity Programs and Workshops

Mentoring Program

Since its inception (1983), it has been necessary for Peace In The Hood to implement Mentoring youth in conjunction with all other services offered to at-risk and high-risk youth in the community. Our service is based on One-On-One Mentoring, Team Mentoring and Group Mentoring.

Volunteers serve as friends, mentors and role models helping youth from single-parent homes gain self-confidence, a since of belonging along with learning positive life altering lessons through our program. In addition, our goal is for the youth to have improved performance at home, at school and in the community.

Peace In The Hood in collaboration with IMAN (Intra-City Action Network) a non-profit Social Service Agency has been working together (since 2000) on Mentoring youth in the community. The Mentoring Program is located at First Cleveland Mosque. It consist of volunteers, the men mentor the males and the women mentor the females.

Team Mentoring

Team Mentoring is done in separate groups (male groups and female groups) this allows the youth to share their problems in order to process their feelings regarding a particular situation or problem. The Team is responsible for listening the entire time that someone on the team is talking about an issue or problem. The role of the adult Mentor is to facilitate the Team and encourage the development of decision making skills, which in turn will help the youth develop confidence and increased self-esteem. The role of the team is to develop effective listening skills and assist in the process of problem solving for each individual on the Team.

One on One Mentoring

In the early stages of the relationship the Mentor and the youth will get to know one another. During the early stages of developing a relationship the mentor allows the relationship to be youth driven, which means that the Mentor takes cues from the youth as to what activities are planned, what needs are addressed, and what issues are discussed. The youth is a partner in shaping the relationship. The Mentor offers encouragement, positive feedback and constructive criticism if necessary by teaching alternative ways to suggest positive behavior if necessary. By sharing consistent time together eventually the youth will develop a level of trust that is conducive to deeper conversations and understanding of problems and issues concerning the youth.

Group Mentoring

Twice a month all individuals come together for a Group Project, such as community service and a educational field trips. This allows the youth to work together as a team (male and female) and complete a task together. This aspect of the program encourages team work and establishes a since of pride and belonging in the community. The community service project is youth driven it allows the youth to become a part of the solution in the community by servicing those in need. Projects have been: Harvest for Hunger and The Sick Committee (bringing food or other items for the sick and shut-in).

Educational field trips are taken to a variety of places throughout the greater Cleveland area. Our goal is to expose the youth to places throughout the greater Cleveland area such as: The African American Museum, local plays, concerts, Cavaliers game, and a college tour just to name a few.

In addition, youth in our Mentoring Program receive the following educational programs which promotes self-development, mutual learning and support among peers and adults:

Khalid Samad: Facilitates violence prevention, intervention, substance abuse and Rites of Passage. Sessions are held 3 times a month with the youth during Group Mentoring and One-On-One Mentoring as needed.

Employment Training: By the end of Employment Training classes each student will obtain the skills necessary to negotiate a raise, obtain a higher position (with a salary increase), and explore taking additional courses or earning a college degree. In addition to Resume writing, interviewing skills, employment test and benefits.

Life Skills: This is an ongoing learning process involving a array of subjects such as: Etiquette, Goal Setting, and Career Exploration just to name a few.

Youth enrolled in our Mentoring program are less likely to start using drugs and drinking, they are less likely to skip school, they usually earn slightly higher grades due to “goal setting” and they feel better about how they are performing in school in addition to feeling supported and establish a since of purpose.

Mentors' Tasks:

• Establish mutual trust and respect.
• Maintain regular interaction and consistent support.
• Make the relationship enjoyable, educational and fun.
• Work with the youth to accomplish specific goals.
• Instill a framework for developing a broader life-management skill such as: Decision making, goal setting, conflict resolution, money management and etc.
• Provide awareness of community, educational and economic resources available to youth and their families, and to access these resources. Act as resource broker, rather than provider.
• Act as a guide, advocate, coach and role model.
• View the role of Mentor as a friend rather than counselor or psychologist.
• Introduce different environments for a positive learning experience (field trips, etc.) 

 

Mr.Johnson, one of our afterschool tutors, helps Brasia and Brianna Lumbus with their homework.

 

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