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Chairman’s Column
 Greetings from the Middle East! First, let us give God the Glory for reenergizing M-PowerHouse and all who support us. As Americans we have so much to be thankful for, which becomes so obvious when you are deployed to war torn environments, but we also have a lot of work to do. Our communities are full of bright young minds, boys and girls, waiting to be exposed to a better way of life. As adults, our responsibility is to reach out to those children and plant seeds of dreams that are obtainable. Once those dreams have taken root, we must give them the tools to make those dreams come true. Our mission is to create an environment which fosters wellness, life-long learning and economic empowerment. As we address these factors we will significantly impact youth violence.
To become a national leader in the development of multidisciplinary teams to address youth violence we must first create a firm foundation within our own organization. Our growth has been phenomenal over the past six months, primarily due to the outstanding leadership of our Executive Director Terry Smith. However we must focus on building more capacity if we are to keep up with our current pace. This is not an easy task but one which is obtainable given the talents which we presently have on our board. At this stage of our development our board is a working board and I am asking all board members to bring their unique strengths and perspectives to the table. M-PowerHouse needs your input in order to continue to grow and build capacity.
Let me tell you why I believe M-PowerHouse is the right organization with the right concept to address the problem of youth violence. Our multidisciplinary model engages professional, educational and community organizations with the sole purpose of addressing youth violence from a primary prevention perspective. By building bridges and relationships to create a win-win environment for all involved we will create a sustainable model. The time is right because at no other point in America’s history has there been a more diverse population with the means to come together to help one another. Our goal as an organization is to prevent destructive behavior by uniting communities to address the educational, economic and health factors that impact youth violence. We can and will accomplish our goals because, in addition to having the right model and the right people, M-PowerHouse is built on integrity of character, good intent and robust content. With strong leadership we will translate our actions into quantifiable results.
As we prepare for our 2008 Youth Symposium in Durham, North Carolina it is my goal to continue to build our foundation and capacity. This will require all of our talents and expertise. Let us give Terry all the support he needs to make this an outstanding inaugural event.
Special acknowledgements to Restoration Institute for Leaders (RIL) and the D.L. Forbes Youth Academy, we look forward to a productive and lasting relationship.
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