INDIANAPOLIS — New B.O.Y. and New Revelations Christian Church came together to host their very first community block party this afternoon.
The program, which stands for New Breed of Youth, is a mentoring program for Indianapolis’ youth to learn leadership, life and conflict resolution skills.
The organization encourages the young men to engage in group discussions that focus on a variety of topics, including the following:
- Life skills
- School to prison pipeline
- Personal hygiene
- Academic success
- Self-advocacy
- Juvenile justice prevention
“It’s family-like. It’s like a father figure. I don’t know everybody’s story, but a lot of people who don’t have family members, New B.O.Y. is here for them,” participant Karter Ballard said.
The block party had tons of activities to keep kids busy and engaged, such as a petting zoo, DJ, vendors, boxing lessons, face painting and more.
“Right now, we need some positivity in our community,” New B.O.Y. founder Kareem Hines said. “There’s a lot of negativity going on, especially in regards to our youth and families.”
However, Hines says the block party was about more than just coming out to have a good time.
“We want to make sure that before they leave, every young person that is here connects with some kind of mentoring or social services organization that will wrap their hands around them, encourage them and give them hope,” Hines said.
Hines says it is “vital” for young adults to have a mentor or someone to give them guidance.
“A mentor is someone they can trust on a different level. Even if they have a dad or mom, the mentor relationship is just a bit different. They feel like they can open up to that mentor,” Hines said.
For more information on New B.O.Y., click here.
