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A Mental Health Initiative for Young Men of Color

THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AMONG YOUNG MEN IS STAGGERING!

Nearly 1 in 10 men experience depression or anxiety, but less than half seek treatment. In 2020, men died by suicide 3.88x more than women. Though men experience a higher rate of suicide, they are less likely to seek help and more prone to suffering in silence. This ratio can be seen higher among men of diverse colors, like African-American men.

Suicide rates among youth and teens are higher than ever, and for ages 10-24, it’s the second leading cause of death. For Black youth, suicide rates are increasing faster than for other racial groups. The data showed that an urgent intervention is needed to curb this menace among youth of color, with approximately 34.1 percent of Black High School respondents to the 2019 YRBS reporting feeling sad or hopeless.

If you've ever been in a situation where you needed support, you know how hard it is to ask for help. It can be scary and humiliating, and you might feel like nobody else understands what you're going through.

We created this mental health initiative for young men of color to ensure that no one ever has to suffer alone, no matter how much their life is changing and how much they've transformed themselves. This mental health initiative means helping kids suffering from socioeconomic challenges get the help they need—and helping them get more tools and resources.

Our barbers give a cohort of 20-30 middle and high school students complimentary haircuts, hair products, journaling prompts, supplies, and mentorship. Each mentor can spend quality time with students while music plays and conversation flows. We bring industry experts, artists and entrepreneurs who share their journeys and moments of stress or difficulty with students while providing them with tools to take care of their mental health, like meditation.

Please help young people who are struggling; they need your help! You can give as low as $10 or $20 and donate this to the program. Your Donations will help power operations, materials, admin and program supplies for 2-3 more cohorts at I.S 219.

WHERE WE SERVE
South Bronx's District 9 is the most economically underserved borough in New York City. Our work currently takes place ONLY in The New Venture School I.S 219.

The potential scope of our work in District 9 includes 25 public middle schools serving 11,605 students in New York City's Geographic District # 9 School District. This district's average intermediate testing ranking is 2/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in New York. (Proficient is a three or better on the state exam)

WHY DISTRICT 9
Has a diversity score of .46 to the NYS average of.71 (The closer you are to 1, the more diverse the district is)
The graduation Rate of District 9 is currently at 70% to the NYS average of 83%
Ethnicity in district 9: 69% Hispanic, 28% Black ~ 1 for all other ethnicities

The Grooming Alchemist will provide our cohorts with professional master barbers, collaborative financial workshops, and culturally responsive public speakers that engage students at high levels. Our community fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and a love for learning as we celebrate every child's unique strengths.

Our Core Values: G.R.A.C.E We believe that everyone involved with The Grooming Alchemist who embodies our core values will have the same trajectory as our foundation in becoming one of the most impactful organizations in New York City.

Gratitude – a sense of appreciation for the gift of life
Respect – due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.
Accountability – taking responsibility and answering for your actions or decisions
Creativity- there are problems all around us, and real solutions start with creativity Empowerment – becoming more confident when it comes to claiming your rights

WHY OUR PROGRAM WORKS
The Grooming Alchemist Initiative is a mental health foundation focused on improving childhood hygiene, self-care and resilience and stemming the tide of homelessness among underserved middle and high school youths in New York City.
TGA started to create a community where young minority men could seek inspiration. Our way of understanding helps the kids feel confident in facing the dark aspects because the mentors we provide understand that it takes courage to tap into inner strength. One example is our meditation sessions, which teach the boys to care for themselves and their spiritual and mental health.

THE IMPACT WE MAKE
Your Donations will help us go into schools with complimentary haircuts, products, supplies and mentorship. Our mentoring sessions are equipped with practical resources like Journals and Mental Health check-ins committed to illustrating bright aspects of life. We transform lives through healthy conversation and career counseling. We are highly committed to growing our services, looking out for men suffering from mental unwellness, and helping them feel heard when venting out their issues.

OUR ASK
Your Donations will help power operations, materials, admin and program supplies for 2-3 more cohorts at I.S 219.

Here is the New Venture School Stats at a glance:
The school’s minority student enrollment is 99%. At Is 219 New Venture School, 10% of students scored at or above the proficient level for math, and 22% scored at or above that level for reading. The school enrolls 94% economically disadvantaged students.

Our goal is to improve critical areas of the kid's life, such as haircare and mentorship, removing this need and creating more capacity for the kid to focus on school, having one less major personal care issue to worry about.

We believe 68% of kids who have access to this program have an 89% chance of not using future public homeless shelters, food kitchens, abuse therapy and the criminal judicial system.




WE WILL PROVIDE



Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $30 
    • 1 yr
  • Anonymous
    • $20 
    • 1 yr
  • Anonymous
    • $35 
    • 1 yr
  • Anonymous
    • $10 
    • 1 yr
  • Anonymous
    • $30 
    • 1 yr

Organizer

charles mccoy
Organizer
New York, NY
Grooming Alchemist Foundation Inc
 
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.

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