The brothers of the Kappa Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity who mentor with Community of Hope come from all over the United States including Washington, DC, California, Washington State and New York. They also work in a variety of professional fields such as law, the nonprofit sector, federal and local government, and entrepreneurship. Members of the fraternity began mentoring with Community of Hope in the spring of 2012. They decided to become mentors because they wanted to provide a positive, enriching environment for young, black males living in southeast DC. Their goal was to show these young men that there is so much to gain from the world by finishing high school and going to college.
Most of the mentors would describe their relationship with their mentee as a constant work in progress. William Grubbs says, “We are often stepping further into a role model/mentorship role, regardless of whether that is something we want or not.” As a group, the Omegas are continually striving to make these youth better young men, so that when they make the transition into adulthood, they will have the confidence and skills to be productive and successful in life.
So far, the Omegas and their mentees have attended a variety of events and participated in several community initiatives. Whether they are attending local college football games, voter registration drives, college fairs, or taking trips to Dave and Busters, the memories and experiences they share will last a lifetime. In 2013 the Omegas would like to continue to grow their relationships with their mentees. They would like to participate in more group activities so that they can see other youth doing positive things. Finally, they seek to help steer the mentees in the right direction in life so they will grow to become fully engaged citizens.
