MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Every Tuesday as part of our Greater Memphis on a Mission series, we highlight organizations making Memphis better. This week, we caught up with a group that believes in empowering the youth with life skills.
Jermaine Brown’s mom was the one who wanted her son to join Life Empowerment.
“She thought it would be a better opportunity for me. I’ve been labeled as a troublesome kid. She thought it would be, like, a better opportunity for me,” said Jermaine.
At first, Jermaine didn’t want to go, but after that first day, everything changed. He started learning how to cook from an executive chef, and how to fix an HVAC from a technician. He even began working on cars.
“If you know how to work on a car, you might not know how to fix the alternator or stuff. They show you how to fix the alternator and stuff. Like, it’s always more to learn,” he said.
Life Empowerment, located in West Memphis, Arkansas, mentors teens, equips them with life skills, and exposes them to a wide variety of trade skills.
Anthony King is the founder and knows not everyone goes to college after graduation. That’s why exposing the kids to many different career paths is vital.
“We teach HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and culinary. We teach hair braiding, salon, and computer science,” said King. “These young people, they are very smart if they’re able to go out and break in cars and do them in a short, record-breaking time. So, we know they’re smart. Let’s just train them to do something more academically achievable where you learn a trade.”
They meet twice a week after school for tutoring and mentorship. On Saturday mornings, they bring in numerous speakers and experts in their field of trade to teach the kids. They even have a safe hangout spot during their downtime.
“They really want to see the next generation win. They’re all about education, trying to keep us out of the streets and the jails,” said Jermaine.
📡 See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South.
📧 Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox.
This summer, they’re also offering free summer camp for ages 5-11 as part of their Kid City Summer Program.
That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Mid-South Genesis CDC donated $1,000 to Life Empowerment. Because learning a marketable trade skill before you even graduate will set you up for success.
