Young Men Without Fathers

In our culture there is a serious lack of elders.  In the United States alone, there are over 25 million youth growing up fatherless.  Countless statistics tell us that children from fatherless homes are more likely to drop out of school, become teenage parents, join gangs and experiment with drugs.

When fathers willfully abandon a generation, it leaves millions of boys lost.  When a father leaves, not for war or courage or self-sacrifice, but for convenience and self-interest it shakes the village.  Boys are stuck trying to sort out the echo stirring by themselves.

Our Mission

The mission of The Encouragement-Wired Foundation for Young Men Without Fathers is to share, teach and demonstrate the principles of manhood to young men, enabling them to achieve their dreams and become men who are strong in faith, confident in who they are, humble, responsible and productive.

Goals of the Program

The goal of Young Men Without Fathers is to break the misguided traits of manhood and introduce role models who provide examples of manhood.

The aim of the Encouragement-Wired Foundation is to instill the following principles in the boys who take part in our programs:

• Integrity         
• Responsibility
• Respect
• Honesty
• Commitment
• Patience
• Discipline
• Service
• Courage
• Accountability

What is Mentoring?

• A Matter of Trust
• A structured and trusting relationship that brings young men together with  caring and accountable individuals who offer guidance, support, and  encouragement aimed at developing the young person's competence,  self-esteem and character.

Why is Mentoring Important?

Sobering statistics are real.  At-risk children and adolescents desperately need guidance and mentors to reverse these trends.

Statistics show that:

• Of  all the African American and other under-privileged fourth graders, 58% are functionally illiterate
• 85%  of African American and other minority children are reading below grade level
• In many states, 80% of Mexican and African American boys drop out of high school before graduating
• Every day 1,000 minority and disenfranchised children are arrested

Boys raised in low-income, single mother households:

• Are 9 times more likely to drop out of school
• Are 20 times more likely to go to jail
• Are 20 times more likely to have behavioral problems
• Are 10 times more likely to abuse substances

For some, they really never have much of a chance: “Among the less well educated, after several decades of family decline, young men often come from single-parent homes. This makes them less likely to secure educations and good jobs, and that, in turn, makes them less attractive as husbands. Nor do they grow up with role models of responsible fatherhood.”

Children aspire to be what they see.

"To me, being a man means being kind, generous, and a good provider.  The most important part of being a man is being strong of character. Having the self-confidence to handle any situation you face, whether you live in the city and face traffic, congestion and crowds, or you live in remote areas with wild animals and inclement weather.  And it's a quiet self-confidence.  A strong, self-confident man doesn't announce his strength to the world.  He leads by example.  He's the guy who steps up and takes charge when a challenge is faced, and then quietly fades into the background when the issue is resolved." – Mona Charen

"To see a man beaten not by a better opponent, but by himself, is a tragedy." - Constantine "Cus" D'Amato

The message is clear:  Hope matters.  Hope is a choice.  Hope can be learned.  Hope is contagious.

John Sowers, author of The Heroic Path has said, "This generation has been wounded the most in relationships - it is in relationships where the healing must begin." We believe that mentoring is the way to change the fatherless story.

The Benefits of Mentoring

Mentoring is a proven strategy for positive youth development. Youth are more likely to succeed in life when they have the additional support of a caring, consistent adult mentor.  Having a mentor can enhance a young person’s learning skills and help build resiliency and self-control. Youth with mentors are less likely to engage in risky behavior with drugs and alcohol, and are more likely to develop positive relationships with peers and adults, and to grow up to become productive members of society.

The Mentoring Effect

The Mentoring Effect is a study completed in 2014 by MENTOR,
The National Mentoring Partnership. It shares data from the first
national survey of young peoples’ opinions on formal and informal mentoring.

The survey showed that mentoring has a profound positive impact on youth,
especially at-risk* youth.

At-risk youth who had a mentor are…

· 130% more likely to hold a leadership
position in a club, school council,
sports team or other group

· 81% more likely to participate in sports
or extracurricular activities

· 78% more likely to volunteer regularly
in their communities

· 55% more likely to enroll in college

The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles

The Role of Risk is a study completed in 2013 that examined mentoring program relationships, experiences, and benefits for at-risk youth found that the strongest most consistent benefit for mentored youth was a reduction in depressive symptoms. The study also found…

· Greater acceptance by their peers

· More positive beliefs about their ability to succeed in school

· Better grades in school

Making a Difference

A study by Big Brother Big Sisters found mentoring can have a profound impact on youth. After just 18 months in a mentoring relationship youth were…

· 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs

· 27% less likely to begin using alcohol

· 52% less likely to skip school

· 37% less likely to skip a class

· 33% less likely to hit someone

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” – Frederick Douglass

“Money-making cannot compare to man-making.” – Orison Swett Marden