Allen Jay Middle school has a star in the making.

 

Kirk Thorpe is with Josiah whose in the 6th grade. Joshiah is a high energy  young man who knows a lot for his age. He was quite impressive in his conversation about world affairs and what he would do to make schools better. We believe Josiah has a bright future and as Kirk said we are thankful we met him. 

Heads Up Big Brother Barber Program 

Kirk Thorpe

We believe that the relationship between law enforcement and the community they serve has to start prior to crime . By providing a safe space for our youth to engage in meaningful conversations and interactions with law enforcement along side community leaders,  we can establish a good faith approach to policing which allows the youth to be educated on laws, rights, and the constitution.

During one of our basketball clinics a young participant became frustrated and wanted to quit because he wasn’t very good at one of the dribbling challenges. The trainers encouraged him and rallied behind him to give it his best shot and he did. Because we did not give up on him and we took time to work with him not only did he finish the challenge but he also discovered he was even better with his left hand than everyone else in the clinic which made him quite a happy camper. 

Some people ask why do we use basketball in a lot of our events? Basketball is one of todays most popular sports. Basketball allows us to meet these children where they are and build a messaging bridge between the game they love and the life they live. Basketball is about teamwork. It’s about making the right play/ decisions. It’s about preparation. It’s an unselfish game that when played correctly yields significant rewards. It’s healthy and we can’t forget it’s fun.

I mean, come on! Who doesn’t enjoy a large slice of pizza? Here’s a photo of one of our favorite youth groups from Allen Jay Middle School after a Big Brother Barber event at Heads Up Barber and Beauty. The kids enjoy sitting around with their barber brothers conversing about everything from careers and current affairs to music interest and education. We found these moments to be very therapeutic for all involved. 

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