It started as a way to help the friends of a shooting victim but has grown into a program to mentor young men.
Boys With a Future is an outreach of the Good Neighbor Ministries at St. Luke United Methodist Church, which is operating on a limited basis due to the pandemic.
“Boys With a Future is an after school program for inner city boys,” said Russell Joel Brown, a retired actor and performer and former educator, who directs the program.
It began with a youth camp in 2019 for the boys who lived in the Harrisburg area and had witnessed the shooting death of 14-year-old Camron Robinson in January that year.
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“They asked me to come up with a summer camp to help them process what they’d seen, to give them the tools to create a safe space. They brought in mental health professionals, and it was very successful,” Brown said.
The program works to help the middle and high school aged boys achieve academic success while giving them role models for the future.
The program consisted of three days a week of academics, art and sports activities prior to the pandemic. Some in-person activities are currently on hold, but Brown spends time trying to ensure the participants’ academic success.
With the program’s on-site tutoring curtailed, Brown takes them to Sylvan Learning Centers for private tutoring and has made sure they’ve had access to computers to learn at home. Brown had also connected with their teachers to ensure they are staying on track.
A lot of time is spent making sure they’ve done their homework and turned in assignments.
Pre-pandemic, they took trips to cultural activities such as plays and ballet performances. Members have also gone on mission trips to places like rural Tennessee.
“We were planning to take them to Louisville, Ky., and Birmingham, Ala., prior to COVID,” said Brown.
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He also works with them on volunteer projects.
In December, they did a clean-up of Summerville’s Fitten Street Cemetery.
On Jan. 16, they will participate in the MLK Day of Service, which will be taking place in several spots around Augusta from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Also pre-pandemic, Brown brought in people to share with them about careers.
“He’s very patient with kids,” said Marcus Odom, 16, who attends T.W. Josey High School, of Brown. He said Brown has helped him focus on his academics and helped him think more of possible careers after he graduates.
He and his brother, Jacob, 17, have been interested in Brown’s career as a stage performer. Brown was a touring performer with Disney’s “The Lion King” for several years.
Both have been inspired by that career field.
Brown plans to use his talents to raise money for the program. His “Mozart to Motown” production has already been postponed twice because of the pandemic and may not see the stage until 2022. Some of the proceeds from this event will be invested into Boys With a Future.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the features editor at The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
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