Dear Boys to Men family,

Today, we have been challenged to embrace the transformational power of change, and I am asking that we embrace that change together.

As you know, Boys to Men Mentoring has been operating out of the first floor of co-founder Craig McClain’s home for over 24 years. Just a week ago, I was eagerly preparing to announce our move into a commercial office space marking a monumental step in the organization’s history. After all of our hard work together, I was excited to celebrate this achievement with you as I neared the completion of my first year as Executive Director.

And then, COVID-19 threatened to disconnect us from our boys.

I immediately remembered the story of our first Adventure Mountain Weekend retreat in 1996. After weeks of developing a curriculum for the weekend, the men were still having a hard time relating to the boys. Craig perceptively threw out all of their plans and instead asked the boys what they needed from their mentors. In doing so, our organization’s core values were born.

Although some may say this was an extreme reaction, we know that by trusting one another and the process, this intuitive move resulted in a great triumph for Boys to Men.

Channeling that same spirit, we put the office move on hold and designed a new form of mentoring support that will introduce our programming into the virtual space. This will allow our boys and mentors to continue receiving the critical emotional support they need. Once we get settled, the move will take place once we receive more information on the ability to gather in groups.

In addition, many of our staff have been temporarily let go in order to redistribute our resources towards the implementation of this rebuilding strategy. We are still searching for ways to stay connected to one another and processing the genuine human emotions that we all are experiencing at this time. We have been challenged to do what is best for the boys even if it forces us out of our comfort zone.

We see a bright future for Boys to Men, and for us to get there, I humbly ask that we come together and clutch onto the strong bonds that connect our boys, staff, mentors, partners and community.

You can help us immediately by sharing my message with your family and friends letting them know how impactful their support will be for Boys to Men, and more importantly, our boys. You can also support our boys directly by making a conscious, financial investment in our new virtual mentoring program. Our goal is to have Boys to Men Mentoring back up to its fullest potential by September. We will then reconnect with former staff to bring them back on board as soon as possible.

Join us as we begin this journey to inspire meaningful connections in the digital world. With your investment, we are protecting the essential essence of what makes us human: our desire to connect with others.

Thank you for being a part of our community. With your passion and dedication, nothing can ever keep us away from our boys.

In service,

Rose Courtney
Executive Director, Boys to Men Mentoring