Churches receive funds

Mentoring programs for at-risk youth

A North Charleston nonprofit is taking steps to empower organizations within the faith-based community.

Youth Empowerment Services Inc. recently awarded $60,000 in grants to Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston and St. James Presbyterian Church on James Island. The churches will receive $30,000 each to be used over a two-year period to fund mentoring programs for disadvantaged and at-risk youth.

YES was awarded a grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention through the U.S. Department of Justice. The grant requires YES to fund programs similar to its own within the faith-based community.

Roslin Fields, president and CEO of YES, is pleased to support the mentoring programs housed at Mount Moriah and St. James.

"We realize that we can't take care of all the mentoring in tri-county area," Fields said. "We want to empower these churches and the faith-based community. We want to be there for them."

Through its various programs, YES serves more than 175 youths throughout the tri-county area.

YES will be responsible for allocating monies to the programs as they need it and also will help the organizations with coordinating their programs.

The Youth Destined for Greatness program started at Mount Moriah is just getting off the ground. During the 14-week program, students will take part in cultural field trips, seminars on conflict resolution, and community service projects.

"It's an awesome opportunity not only for church but for children as a whole," Vernetta Simuel, director of Youth Destined for Greatness, said. "The mission of our program is treat youth with mutual respect and dignity. We want them to see the great qualities that they have."

The youths for these mentoring programs are referred through several avenues including the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Social Services, schools, the faith-based and community organizations, churches and parents.

For more information contact YES at 767-9969 or e-mail yescouncil@yescouncil.org.

Reach Jasiri Whipper at 745-5863 or jwhipper@postandcourier.com.