Blog - Page 4 of 5 - Boys To Men Mentoring Network

Thank You, David C. Copley Family Foundation!

Boys to Men Mentoring was recently awarded a benevolent grant from The David C. Copley Family Foundation, and we are so incredibly grateful! The Copley Family Foundation provides funding for responsible, creative charitable and civic organizations focusing on community, culture and arts, education, medical and health, and youth development, which continue the Copley family legacy of supporting life enriching organizations and foster community and civic improvement. With the generous grant we received from The David C. Copley Family Foundation, we …

Journeyman Spotlight: Ryan

Often, a teenage boy finds Boys to Men Mentoring when he needs us most. This was the case in the life of Journeyman Ryan, who came to his first BTM group at the age of 13 and is almost 17-years old now. Ryan’s father passed away when he was just three-years old and, despite having a strong bond with his older sister and mother, Ryan was lacking a positive male role model in his life. Our Program Director, Anthony Hutchings, …

Surfers Attempted to Ride a Wave Into History: The ONE Wave Challenge

Sometimes, we at Boys to Men Mentoring get a wild hair and decide to take on challenges that seem impossible. Our only annual fundraiser, for example, The 100 Wave Challenge, is basically a surfing marathon. On Saturday, January 23rd, 2016, about 150 San Diego surfers rode 18 waves in unison for nearly two hours in an attempt to override the current World Record for most surfers on one wave (which was 110, set in Cape Town, South Africa). Our esteemed …

Sponsor Shout-Out: Thank You, Dr. Bronner’s!

In addition to private donations and grants, Boys to Men Mentoring is incredibly grateful for the support of corporate sponsors, and one of the companies that has given generously year after year to BTM is Dr. Bronner’s All-One. An international company based in Vista, California (north of San Diego), Dr. B’s believes in ethical sourcing and fair trade as well as providing aid to non-profits with missions in line with their own, as Boys to Men has. Dr. Bronner’s makes …

Spotlight School: Montgomery Middle School

Each month, Boys to Men is now holding 130 groups in San Diego. This month’s Spotlight School is Montgomery Middle School in the Cajon Valley School District. We are currently holding two BTM groups weekly at Montgomery Middle, divided by age and grade (serving 7th and 8th grade boys) with 7 mentors — 3 staff and 4 volunteers. One student at Montgomery, Jacob, said, “If I have a problem, I can talk about it here,” and another boy, Sam, explained …

Dr. Bronner’s Supports 100 Wave Challenge on Sept. 19

VISTA, Calif., Sept. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Dr. Bronner’s, family-owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America, is proud to support the 100 Wave Challenge on Sept. 19 to raise funds and awareness for the important work of the Boys to Men Mentoring Network, a San Diego-based nonprofit that engages men to improve the lives of boys at risk. On Saturday, Sept. 19, hundreds of surfers will hit the water at Mission Beach to support Boys …

I Am Now Able to Speak My Truth

“I am now able to speak my truth.” Each month, Boys to Men is now holding 116 groups in San Diego. This month’s Spotlight School is Harriet Tubman Village Charter School in La Mesa, which is a part of the San Diego Charter School Consortium. Boys to Men is now in partnership with 6 schools in this consortium and growing with as many as 8 more schools on the waiting list. Dr. Valerie Bailey, the school counselor for Harriet Tubman …

Small Token of Thanks

January was Mentor Appreciation Month and at Boys to Men Mentoring we took this opportunity to thank the backbone of our organization for their work. Between volunteer group mentors and staff facilitators, we have more than sixty men who give their time, offer their wisdom and provide stability and accountability in the lives of boys who otherwise may not benefit from any of those qualities from men in their lives. As a small token of thanks, we asked some of …

Boys to Men is My Family

With so many young men going through our program each year, Boys to Men has an abundance of success stories to share. One teenage boy we are especially proud of is 17-year old Louis Castrejon, who has been involved in Boys to Men Mentoring for more than three years now. Louis was introduced to Boys to Men at a continuation program in an after-school group at Gateway Middle School. In his own words, Louis said, “Without Boys to Men I …

On TV

KUSI.com – KUSI News – San Diego CA – News, Weather, PPR Boys to Men: mentor program for San Diego youth Posted: Aug 19, 2014 7:57 PM PDT Updated: Aug 19, 2014 7:58 PM PDT By Kristen Cusato – email In his comments about the shooting in Ferguson this week, President Obama said “too many young men of color are left behind and seen as objects of fear.” The president is pushing for more programs to change that perception and …