Men Empowering Nations continues to serve Sicklerville Youth.
Evangelist Virgil Carman Jr. visited a Philadelphia prison a decade ago.
Shaking hands with inmates, he stumbled upon three generations of men in the same cell block.
“I said to myself, ‘who could help to break generational curses?’” Carman said. “I asked God at that time, and he told me, ‘You can help.’”
Ten years later, in the modest Star Center building on Erial Road, Carman continues to practice this divine inspiration by mentoring, counseling and guiding young men through the word of God, cultivating educational achievement and cultural enrichment.
Men Empowering Nations, a Sicklerville-based organization striving to positively impact the lives of males between the ages of 7 and 18, is celebrating its 10th anniversary in December. Founded by Carmen, the Army veteran has enlightened dozens of young men with the help of fellow mentors.
Enrolling on a yearly basis, the group encompasses about 30 young men, more than 95 percent of whom come from broken families, especially lacking father figures.
During Tuesday-evening meetings, mentors lead mentees through a conversation on current events, Bible studies and discussions regarding monthly themes, such as October’s “career development.”
“The organization is needed because young men imitate and emulate what they see, and if they continue to imitate and emulate negativity, they’re going to do negative things,” mentor Thomas DeLoach said. “If they see positive things, positive people and positive places, there is a 99 percent chance they’re going to go in that direction.”
The organization partners with local entities, including Winslow Township’s Office of the Mayor, Winslow Township Drug and Alcohol Alliance and St. James Church.
From former inmates to NFL players, the meetings often will feature a guest speaker, enlightening the men with real-world perspectives.
The impact extends beyond the walls of weekly meetings, as mentors keep in touch with the young men’s parents, teachers and counselors, fostering a safe haven for decision making and positive thinking.
The organization also hosts camping and other trips. Last April, it visited NASA.
“After a good month or two of being here, it starts to become a tight-knit family, and you start to really value the time coming in here, especially when you’re trying to get away and things aren’t going well at home,” said Nijean Snider, 17, who has been with the organization since its founding. “It became the father I never really had.”
Snider is one of five high school seniors graduating in June. All of them maintain a B-plus average. Men Empowering Nations provides a standing yearly college scholarship divided among the seniors.
Nearly 100 percent of the mentees graduate high school and enter college, the military or the workforce.
Frequently, mentees will return to the organization a few years after graduation, giving back to the group that guided them and sharing their successes.
“It shows that the mentoring you’ve done in the past is not done in vain. It shows that you’ve touched them in someway,” mentor Virgil Carman III said. “As a mentor, you wonder if they’re really acknowledging the wisdom and knowledge that I’m giving to them, but years later, everything unfolds and it blooms … You see the fruit of everything you’ve really planted.”
The fruit continues to bloom, as Men Empowering Nations is celebrating its decade milestone on Friday, Dec. 1 at the Palace Banquet Hall located, 109 N. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood, 08012. The festivities run from 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person. For tickets, call (856) 318–4606.
The mentors and mentees say they look forward to the next 10 years, hoping to continue their impact on the youth of Sicklerville.
“It’s amazing to see the growth — something that’s in my community that I grew up in. It’s something I wish we had when I was their age — some type of guidance, counseling and coaching,” mentor Victor Cobbs said. “It’s exciting to see this program thrive and continue to thrive … The growth of these young men — they’re living proof of Men Empowering Nations.”
Information Box: All sessions are held every Tuesday in the Star Building located at 100 Erial Road in Sicklerville. For more information, contact Rob Walden at (856) 318–4606 or visit http://www.menempoweringnations.org/.
