Programs and Assistance for inner city youth

Imagine a child striving to break the cycle of past trauma, a child that set their hearts on breaking generational poverty and becoming the leader they knew they could be, BUT lack of resources and guidance kept them from reaching their dreams!

Sad, right?

Hi, my name is Volonda Reedus, and I am advocating for my cousin Tiffany Swoope. With a servant's heart, she created GRACED INC to help youth aged 12-18 in the Durham, NC area break cycles of trauma to start living better lives. Most importantly, the trauma of poverty. When she began working with youth at a local recreation center, she was told that she might not have any luck because the kids had not responded to two previous organizations that tried. Those other organizations failed, but she has had the total opposite response. To date, her impact has reached more than she anticipated, and she is now at the point where she needs more resources to continue her life-changing mission. Her outreach has been so successful that her introductory program is “growing to life”! On any given night, approximately 24 kids show up to her program on Thursday nights. These kids need all the support and resources they can receive, and my cousin needs help to keep going!

During her time with the youth on Thursday nights, she teaches them, mostly young men, to cook a freshly prepared meal and then coaches them on life lessons while completing an artistic or creative expressive activity. Her goal is to promote a positive culture and cultivate leaders who will positively impact this high-risk, gang-ridden, impoverished community. The kids love it, and the word keeps buzzing about it in the community! She is starting to get noticed, but I am doing this because I don’t want her program to collapse before the grant funding comes in. She has invested most of her personal resources in reaching these kids. This program is her heart, and the kids genuinely benefit from having her show up consistently and overwhelm them with agape love.

In addition, she saw a need to start a second program, a monthly VIP (Very Impressive Person) brunch, to expose the youth to positive and successful role models who have overcome similar plights of trauma and poverty in their lives. The VIPs share their stories of how they, too, overcame trauma and poverty and created success in their personal lives. This program is soul food to these youth, and they need it! The brunch is also being offered to the community at large, as adults can benefit from being inspired by the VIPs. And Tiffany needs funding to pull it off and keep it going. In her style, she will be providing each of the kids a meal as the program ends.

Last week, Tiffany encouraged the youth to apply for the Changed By Youth Ambassador program offered by the city of Durham. This program is a chance for them to sit at the table with other youth from other backgrounds across the city and local leaders to have a voice in the decisions that are being made about youth services offered to the teens. Her kids would not have heard about this program if she had not brought the opportunity to them. As a result, eight (8) of the youth she works with applied for this life-changing opportunity, and all of them will need an outfit, and some will need shoes to show up for the interview as part of the process. She desires to posture the youth for success because everyone tends to feel good when they look good! And if selected, they will be paid $15 an hour for participating. But, most importantly, the exposure offered in this realm will leave a lasting impact on their lives as their leadership capabilities are activated in a compelling way.

My goal is to raise $15,000 for her. I see her tireless efforts and the personal resources she has generously poured into assisting the youth, and I would hate any gap in her service due to lack of funding.

I am asking for donations to help her sustain her program until funding comes in. Your support will also ensure that the youth also receive proper clothing to get the child prepared Youth Ambassadors up for success.

These children are in dire need of assistance! Please help me to help Tiffany keep to keep her services going and keep reaching these kids!

Thank you in advance for assisting her in this mission!

Blessings,

Volonda