An open letter from our president, Kurt Ellison
In 1980, the African American community was hit hard by crack cocaine. Everyone witnessed how this drug tore apart families and inevitably communities. Violence skyrocket among black males ages 14-17. Kids were left to raise themselves while their parents battled the powers of an evil drug.
Fast forward to 2020. People ages 35-45 are the first generation from the war on crack. They are now raising children. They’re not addicted to drugs like their parents were, but they struggle to provide the proper guidance for their own children because they never had a model. This is where The Work Foundation finds its mission.
I grew up in a drug infested environment where I had to dodge bullets, fear gangs, and attend an academically failing school. I witnessed dead bodies, lived in deplorable apartments, went winters with no heat, and far too often wrestled with the thoughts of despair. All the odds were stacked against me, but I had several black mentors who taught me how to face adversity and win. If it wasn’t for me having a man who cared and a safe place to go, I wouldn’t have made it through the crack epidemic. It defeated my community.
I was the first one in my family to attend and graduate college. I made it out of poverty, violence, and drugs because I had an alternative, sports. Now I’m paying it forward by reaching back to help other young kids who look like me. I’m not satisfied with just me making it out. It saddens my heart when I think about my friends, neighbors, and family members who didn’t. There just wasn’t enough mentors to meet the needs of our community.
I want my partners to know that I was a boy in poverty and I know how to escape it. I need your help to rescue as many others as possible. The Work Foundation is a violence alternative. The Work Foundation is a college readiness program. The Work Foundation is a career readiness program. The Work Foundation is a mentorship program. The Work Foundation is a family.
We exist for them, but we are empowered by you. Thanks for your continued support!
Fast forward to 2020. People ages 35-45 are the first generation from the war on crack. They are now raising children. They’re not addicted to drugs like their parents were, but they struggle to provide the proper guidance for their own children because they never had a model. This is where The Work Foundation finds its mission.
I grew up in a drug infested environment where I had to dodge bullets, fear gangs, and attend an academically failing school. I witnessed dead bodies, lived in deplorable apartments, went winters with no heat, and far too often wrestled with the thoughts of despair. All the odds were stacked against me, but I had several black mentors who taught me how to face adversity and win. If it wasn’t for me having a man who cared and a safe place to go, I wouldn’t have made it through the crack epidemic. It defeated my community.
I was the first one in my family to attend and graduate college. I made it out of poverty, violence, and drugs because I had an alternative, sports. Now I’m paying it forward by reaching back to help other young kids who look like me. I’m not satisfied with just me making it out. It saddens my heart when I think about my friends, neighbors, and family members who didn’t. There just wasn’t enough mentors to meet the needs of our community.
I want my partners to know that I was a boy in poverty and I know how to escape it. I need your help to rescue as many others as possible. The Work Foundation is a violence alternative. The Work Foundation is a college readiness program. The Work Foundation is a career readiness program. The Work Foundation is a mentorship program. The Work Foundation is a family.
We exist for them, but we are empowered by you. Thanks for your continued support!
Our Board
Kurtis Ellison, President
Shemen Jones-Stewart, Secretary
Melinet Ellison, Treasure
Joy Price Lewis, Public Relations
Derrick Bass, Ethicist
Shemen Jones-Stewart, Secretary
Melinet Ellison, Treasure
Joy Price Lewis, Public Relations
Derrick Bass, Ethicist
