The Man 2 Man Mission
Like most large cities, Oakland is facing a crisis of epic proportions. The young males of the community have been neglected as society’s castoffs. At a vastly disproportionate rate, they are unemployed/under-employed, living below the poverty level, uneducated, incarcerated and often prisoners within their own neighborhoods, which can resemble warzones. They are overwhelmingly the product of single-mother homes, with little to no guidance and a remarked lack of adult male role models to provide good examples and much needed firm, but caring, discipline. These young men are in desperate need of social and spiritual intervention. There is a void in their lives. If left unattended, it WILL be filled by the streets. Man 2 Man Ministry was created to rescue them from this downward spiral and help fill the void in their lives with positive experiences and hope.
Man 2 Man – Urban Youth Advocate mentors boys and young men of all ethnicities between the ages of 10 and 24. The program teaches life skills that will help and enhance personal development by applying practical principles.
Young men are invited to come together and share the interpersonal problems and relationships that they struggle with during the course of their everyday lives. These young men will come to understand that they are not the only ones dealing with these severe life challenges.
The program focuses on group mentoring sessions, but also offers career assessment and counseling, opportunities for group activities, daytime excursions to expose the participants to a variety of culturally diverse experiences. The youth will also be encouraged to attend weekend trips away from the city environment for camping, fishing and other planned events.
Man 2 Man – Urban Youth Advocate is operated by its founder and executive director, Stewart Perrilliat.