PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Every day for Vincent Garrett, he is putting in the work. His nonprofit, Mentor Leaders Produce Mentor Leaders, offers young boys across the city of Philadelphia guidance and support in an effort to show them the right path for them to follow in life.
“A lot of them are graduating, and they're kind of undecided, unsure and uncertain about next steps. And you bring their friends for guidance and support, and resources that I'm able to offer,” Garrett said.
The program has grown as, perhaps, the obstacles to young men in the city have grown. “It went from 60 consistently to now 60 to 100 on any given day of the week. You come see me, I'm just surrounded by a bunch of great, handsome, young men,” he said.
“The first thing we do when we greet each other, we sit down and we talk about what was your positive for today. Whether you're a guest or wherever you are, we share the positive,” he said. “I'm going to narrate the positive first, and I'm gonna make sure I'm fueling them.”
Garrett, more dearly known as Mr. G to his students, is often the solo leader of his program. It’s a heavy workload, but he says his passion for the young people is deep and personal and it fills a void.
“Not having a father in my life, like, really drove my passion for young men deeply, because I know some of the things I needed,” he said. “Everything happens for a reason.”
At a time in their lives when young men are facing many obstacles, what they need is hope. At Mentor Leaders Produce Mentor Leaders, Garrett says, part of the mission is fostering that hope.
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“I feel like I'm built and designed for this work,” he said. The work is hard, but he calls it pleasurable.
One example Garrett gives is a student he worked with from the time he was a young boy through his acceptance into college.
“He got accepted to St. Joe's Prep. … It was $25,000 a year, and he didn't have the money,” Garrett recalled.
They used GoFundMe and worked their social networks online and in person. “And, lo and behold — St. Joe's Prep decided to give him a scholarship for $22,000 a year,” Garrett said. “So $3,000 left over. But I tell him all the time, be faithful. You're a good young man, and blessings will come your way. I am an example of that.”
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He says while the gun violence crisis has affected his boys heavily over the past couple of years, he has been consistent, giving the young men a support system they can count on. “This crisis, this emergency, this call to action,” he calls it. “I'm looking at it from the lens of a mentor. I'm looking at it from the lens of an educator. I'm looking at it from the lens of a parent.”
Unfortunately, two of the young men he works with were recently involved in an incident of gun violence.
“I've been engaged every step of the way. And it goes to show that you have programs to prevent these types of situations, but you can't stop it,” Garrett said. “The only thing you can do is continue to work forward and try to plan, execute, and see everything else so this doesn't happen again.”
Garrett says he doesn’t have all of the answers, but he does believe part of the solution to the crisis is rooted in the work.