Today, our adolescents and young adults seem to be going down a path of self-destruction.
From teenage pregnancy to violence and murder, they are participating in behaviors that are risky to their health and future success.
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) (2015) states that” in 2013, while the national average for births for every 1,000 adolescent females ages 15-19 was 26.5; the average for Mississippi was 42.6.” Teenage males are becoming fathers, too.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2015), “incidence and prevalence estimates suggest that young people aged 15–24 years acquire half of all new STDs and that 1-in-4 sexually active adolescent females have an STD, such as chlamydia or human papillomavirus (HPV).” “Sexually transmitted disease” tells us: though rates of HIV are very low among adolescents, males make up more than three-quarters of HIV diagnoses among 13- to 19-year-olds (HHS, 2015). And, right here in Mississippi, in Indianola, our young, black men are robbing and killing each other; dropout rates seem to be increasing; and our young men seem to just be wasting their lives away hanging on street corners trying to sell drugs for a living.
Aren’t these statistics startling to you?
They are to me.
Our babies are missing something and have possibly been missing that “something” for a long time. As they get older, they venture from their regular surroundings and meet educators, school administrators, bus drivers and coaches, other parents, counselors, and many more adults.
As the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child” goes, we — all adults who play even the smallest part in a child’s life — have to strongly believe in, and support, the positive upbringing, uplifting and renewal of our youth in hopes of them becoming productive young adults; so, it is imperative that the community, school, churches, etc. become involved.
One dynamic duo who have been a part of the village for several years are Albert and Brenda Lynn.
Brenda is the founder and CEO of Delta Care Hope Foundation (DCH), and Albert is the CFO. DCH is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower underserved youth, adults, and their families by providing holistic developmental programs leading to self-sufficiency and self-reliance through education, training, advocacy, and overall supportive services. According to Brenda, “Our organization provides community building services which offer health / mental health services, therapeutic services, counseling, self-esteem and social skills building, mentoring, job search assistance services, and social activities for our participants. The program assesses the needs and plan individualized services using individual and family members’ input to teach life skills, to teach effective social and interpersonal skills, and to offer supportive community building services.” DCH also links individuals to community resources, assisting with medications and utility bills (if funds are available). “We aim to foster growth and development in a manner that understands and serves the needs of the specified population that we serve through the programs that we offer,” she said.
DCH currently has five programs which are Empowering Day Center Adult Day Care, Empowerment Kids University, After School Program, Summer Enrichment Program, and Mentoring Program for adults and children. The Lynn’s provides a host of other services such as Lynn’s Agency which is an insurance agency that provides life insurance, health insurance including Obamacare, dental, vision, car, house, and rental insurance. Albert and Brenda are also the pastor and co-pastor of Empowering Temple Church, located at 711 Coats Street in Indianola. Its motto is “Giving life to the community.”
When I asked Brenda why she and her husband choose to do what they do, she politely replied, “We choose to serve the community due to past failures; we noticed there were not many programs providing mentoring to children and adults. We wanted to be of assistance to people in and outside of our community. We have a passion for helping those who are truly in need of our assistance, whether it is assisting them with completing necessary documents, providing counseling, or just being a listening ear. It makes me feel good and puts a smile on my face when someone tells me that I have been a big help to solving matters.”
Most of the work that Brenda and Albert provide is not compensated; they simply find joy in helping and making others feel good. They know that in due season they will reap their reward. In all that they do, their ultimate goal is to empower others, from young to old.
