Omega Frater Texas Sen. Royce West calls on ‘Greeks’ to help mentor vulnerable youths

Source

State Sen. Royce West has put out the call across Texas for members of black fraternities and sororities to become volunteer mentors with Big Brothers Big Sisters, which pairs youths with caring adults who steer them on a positive path.

West, D-Dallas, an Omega Psi Phi fraternity member, met this month with Greek organizations and other service groups at Big Brothers Big Sisters’ Dallas headquarters. He discussed how more mentors would help the many youths – particularly young black boys – who need a guiding hand.

Big Brothers Big Sisters has hundreds of youths on the waiting list for mentors. In most of their cases, Mom works outside the home and Dad is absent.

West points to the low graduation rate among black males in Texas as an issue for mentors’ attention. He said members of black Greek organizations are equipped for supportive roles. As community leaders, they have “unique power” to make change, he said in a prepared statement before meeting the groups.

“It is our duty to answer the call of our most vulnerable youth,” he said in the statement.

West’s new statewide initiative creates a mentorship pipeline for black students from third grade to their college sophomore year. The program will begin in North Texas this fall, using volunteers as “goal models” for the youths.

Groups that will work with West and Big Brothers Big Sisters include the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Region 10 Education Service Center and the Texas Education Agency. To learn more, visit www.bbbstx.org or call 1-888-887-2447 or 214-467-0123.

Popularity: 1% [?]