Jason Brown
Alameda County
Project: Young Father's Group: Reaching Out to Young Fathers in Need
Jason Brown is 27 years of age and was born and raised in Oakland, CA. The first eight and a half years of his young life, he spent going from house to house while his dad figured out where or who he could stay with. When he wasn't living with him, he would live with uncles and aunts. School was not a priority for him, rules had little meaning and doing things on his own was all he knew how to do. He was hard headed, had problems with authority and was quickly headed towards a path destruction. By the time he was 9, he had moved with his mom and things had continued to get worse. He continued to do things his way. By the time he turned 18, he found himself moving from house to house living with friends and thought about his childhood and how depressing it really made him feel. He told himself that he didn't want that kind of future and that something had to change. Fall 2007, he found an organization called Harbor House Ministries. An after school program catered to kindergarten - 8th grade students. They were the most accepting people he had ever come in contact with but more importantly, the reason he is where he is today. From the executive director, all the way down to the children in the program, they gave him life. They gave him hope. They were the reason he obtained his high school diploma at a continuation school. They are the reason he decided to go to college and pursue a credential in Child Development. In short, he has been able to accomplish a lot of things he thought he would never be able to do. The reason is because someone had enough faith in him to believe. So, now it's turn to give back and in a major way. The community in which I served, paired with the memories of my childhood, showed me how important it is to have a support system growing up. How much better things can be when you come from a strong upbringing. Though I'm doing better than I once was, I know that WE, those that are in similar situations, can do better from the beginning. If we are to achieve that, then WE need to be more AWARE of where we come from and how to fix it. This is why I have a passion to start a young fathers group and helping those in need.
Jason is using his award to launch a young fathers support group that allows men to share their experiences and gain valuable advice.
Alameda County
Project: Young Father's Group: Reaching Out to Young Fathers in Need
Jason Brown is 27 years of age and was born and raised in Oakland, CA. The first eight and a half years of his young life, he spent going from house to house while his dad figured out where or who he could stay with. When he wasn't living with him, he would live with uncles and aunts. School was not a priority for him, rules had little meaning and doing things on his own was all he knew how to do. He was hard headed, had problems with authority and was quickly headed towards a path destruction. By the time he was 9, he had moved with his mom and things had continued to get worse. He continued to do things his way. By the time he turned 18, he found himself moving from house to house living with friends and thought about his childhood and how depressing it really made him feel. He told himself that he didn't want that kind of future and that something had to change. Fall 2007, he found an organization called Harbor House Ministries. An after school program catered to kindergarten - 8th grade students. They were the most accepting people he had ever come in contact with but more importantly, the reason he is where he is today. From the executive director, all the way down to the children in the program, they gave him life. They gave him hope. They were the reason he obtained his high school diploma at a continuation school. They are the reason he decided to go to college and pursue a credential in Child Development. In short, he has been able to accomplish a lot of things he thought he would never be able to do. The reason is because someone had enough faith in him to believe. So, now it's turn to give back and in a major way. The community in which I served, paired with the memories of my childhood, showed me how important it is to have a support system growing up. How much better things can be when you come from a strong upbringing. Though I'm doing better than I once was, I know that WE, those that are in similar situations, can do better from the beginning. If we are to achieve that, then WE need to be more AWARE of where we come from and how to fix it. This is why I have a passion to start a young fathers group and helping those in need.
Jason is using his award to launch a young fathers support group that allows men to share their experiences and gain valuable advice.
