Charlotte youth outreach program ‘meeting people where they’re at’ wants to expand services

Ricky Singh expressed interest in receiving continued funding from the Charlotte City Council for a non-profit whose mission is to provide a positive experience for boys and young men of color.

Singh, the executive director of Charlotte Mecklenburg My Brother’s Keeper, told councilors during a recent council action review and business meeting that the program, which “has impacted over 5,000 youth” since its inception, hopes to expand in the coming years to provide internships, apprenticeships, and “student-to-business experiences.”

Singh did not disclose how much funding would be needed to cover the initiatives. However, the organization received $75,000 in grant funding in 2023 to 2024 as part of Senate Bill 434.

Singh is hoping the organization to receive funding for 2025 to improve and expand existing initiatives.

“Need is based on how many kids are in need, so there’s no number,” he said.

What My Brother’s Keeper is doing in Charlotte

The Charlotte chapter of My Brother’s Keeper is part of a national network founded in 2014 by former President Barack Obama in response to the lack of opportunities for minority youth. The organization’s mission is to provide opportunities to young men and boys of color.

Launched in 2021, Charlotte Mecklenburg My Brother’s Keeper has worked with young boys and adults aged 12 to 22.

The program has held a sustainability program that provides support and resources for other Charlotte nonprofits, such as ourBRIDGE for Kids, Carolina Community Health Clinic, and Carolina Migrant Network, that impact youth who live in low-income areas.

With additional resources, Singh wants My Brother’s Keeper to initiate a youth services connection hotline that will provide mental health and extracurricular services for youth and also allow potential volunteers to learn more about getting involved.

‘Meeting people where they’re at’

Since December, Charlotte’s My Brother’s Keeper has partnered with Charlotte Mecklenburg County Schools to support the high school students.

The organization hosts daily mentoring sessions, weekly small groups and recently hosted violence prevention workshops at Julius L. Chambers High School in Charlotte.

The organization is also combating chronic absenteeism, said Singh.

Chronic absenteeism is when a student misses at least 15 days of school in a school year, according to the US Department of Education. These students also have an increased risk of falling behind in school.

The most recent data from the 2021 and 2022 school years shows more than 1 in 4 students, or 29 percent, were chronically absent, according to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.

My Brother’s Keeper volunteers have made routine home visits to address absenteeism. Singh, who has 18 years of experience in education as a teacher and principal, contributed to this initiative.

“Meeting people where they’re at isn’t just meeting at the nearest community locations. You have to meet them where they are actually at,” he said.

My Brother’s Keeper is unique because it uses “positive and innovative experiences” to engage youth. One of them is working with FittedClt, a Charlotte hat shop, which has encouraged youth members of the program to design hats that will be sold throughout the city.

Additionally, Charlotte-Mecklenburg My Brother’s Keeper will host an on-stage production and mini museum in McKnight Hall at the University of North Carolina Charlotte on Saturday, June 15, at 7 p.m.

Singh values the belief of the city council in the work My Brother’s Keeper does.

“That shows that there is belief and faith in the work that we’re doing,” he said. “They’re amazing thought partners, and I know it’s a tough seat to sit in.”