cb newsletter - nov/dec 2013

8
Chionesu Bakari Program For Young Men “Guiding Light of Noble Promise” “Moving Forward” issue 005 November / December 2013 DIRECTOR’S WELCOME 1 PROFILES OF CB STAFF 2 LETTER FROM COLLEGE 3 WELCOME 2013 YOUNG MEN 4 THE GIFT OF LIFE 6 CB FAMILY FUN 8 CB 2013-2014 CALENDAR 8 INSIDE THIS ISSUE A Word From The Director I’d like to begin this letter by thanking all of those who came out to support the First CB Movie Night viewing of “The Best Man Holiday.” It was a great night of camaraderie, laughter and fun bringing our families and supporters together to continue to assist Chionesu Bakari. Undoubtedly we’ve had an amazing year! In addition, a special heartfelt thank you goes out to the all of the Parents/Guardians and supporters who contributed their time and effort toward the success of all CB events. We look forward to more Family and Friends events in the coming months, and the continued growth of our program. We have adjusted our programming for our February 2014 trip. We will now travel to North Carolina and New Orleans from February 15-21, 2014. In North Carolina, CB Alumni will be our hosts and lead visits to the colleges they attend. The college visits will include Shaw University, Johnson C. Smith and Winston Salem State University. The CB alumni led tours will be a potent model of possibility for the young men. In New Orleans we will expose the young men to the culture, colleges and lifestyle of the Big Easy. Our California Trip will now take place in late June 2014. In this issue, we highlight the profiles of the Staff of CB who work, often behind the scenes, ensuring the success of CB programs and activities. The staff’s depth of experiences and dedication are vital to the program. Without their passion for developing the potential of Young Black Men, the execution of the mission and vision of CB would not be possible. Take a moment and get to know the CB Staff. You will also read a letter from a CB Alum in his first year of college, meet the new CB young men of 2013-2014 and share in two heart-warming stories of the Gift of Life in this Holiday season. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful and Happy New Year. I look forward to seeing you in 2014. Namaste Horace L. Moore, Director Integrity, commitment, and passion are vital leadership characteristics necessary for Chionesu Bakari to fulfill its mission of saving and developing young black males. Horace L. Moore, Founder and Director of Chionesu has brought together a staff that fully embodies these qualities and more. Come inside and meet Elder Victor Young, CB Assistant Director; Elder Vaughn Curmon, CB Special Services and Outreach; Mr. Keir Nelson, CB Special Events and Outreach; and Ms. Monica Britton, CB Administrative Support. Each one of these staff members brings the wealth of their career and life experiences, along with a passion for the success of our Young Black Men. Take a look as our staff members share an overview of their roles within CB; their backgrounds and experiences; and reveal their hopes and well wishes for CB this Holiday Season. Profiles & Insight from CB Staff

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Page 1: CB Newsletter - Nov/Dec 2013

Chionesu Bakari Program For Young Men “Guiding Light of Noble Promise”

“Moving Forward”issue 005

November / December 2013

� DIRECTOR’S WELCOME 1

� PROFILES OF CB STAFF 2

� LETTER FROM COLLEGE 3

� WELCOME 2013 YOUNG MEN 4

� THE GIFT OF LIFE 6

� CB FAMILY FUN 8

� CB 2013-2014 CALENDAR 8

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

A Word From The DirectorI’d like to begin this letter by thanking all of those who came out to support the First CB Movie Night viewing of “The Best Man Holiday.” It was a great night of camaraderie, laughter and fun bringing our families and supporters together to continue to assist Chionesu Bakari. Undoubtedly we’ve had an amazing year! In addition, a special heartfelt thank you goes out to the all of the Parents/Guardians and supporters who contributed their time and effort toward the success of all CB events. We look forward to more Family and Friends events in the coming months, and the continued growth of our program.

We have adjusted our programming for our February 2014 trip. We will now travel to North Carolina and New Orleans from February 15-21, 2014. In North Carolina, CB Alumni will be our hosts and lead visits to the colleges they attend. The college visits will include Shaw University, Johnson C. Smith and Winston Salem State University. The CB alumni led tours will be a potent model of possibility for the young men. In New Orleans we will expose the young men to the culture, colleges and lifestyle of the Big Easy. Our California Trip will now take place in late June 2014.

In this issue, we highlight the profiles of the Staff of CB who work, often behind the scenes, ensuring the success of CB programs and activities. The staff’s depth of experiences and dedication are vital to the program. Without their passion for developing the potential of Young Black Men, the execution of the mission and vision of CB would not be possible. Take a moment and get to know the CB Staff.

You will also read a letter from a CB Alum in his first year of college, meet the new CB young men of 2013-2014 and share in two heart-warming stories of the Gift of Life in this Holiday season.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful and Happy New Year. I look forward to seeing you in 2014.

Namaste Horace L. Moore, Director

Integrity, commitment, and passion are vital leadership characteristics necessary for Chionesu Bakari to fulfill its mission of saving and developing young black males. Horace L. Moore, Founder and Director of Chionesu has brought together a staff that fully embodies these qualities and more. Come inside and meet Elder Victor Young, CB Assistant Director; Elder Vaughn Curmon, CB Special Services and Outreach; Mr. Keir Nelson, CB Special Events and Outreach; and Ms. Monica Britton, CB Administrative Support. Each one of these staff members brings the wealth of their career and life experiences, along with a passion for the success of our Young Black Men.

Take a look as our staff members share an overview of their roles within CB; their backgrounds and experiences; and reveal their hopes and well wishes for CB this Holiday Season.

Profiles & Insight from CB Staff

Page 2: CB Newsletter - Nov/Dec 2013

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

- Nelson Mandela2

Elder Victor Young, Assistant Director, has been with the program since the beginning. He guides the young men of Chionesu Bakari in developing life skills that will help them to be confident and respectful men of integrity whom people can trust. His teachings for the young men focus on three areas: 1) Spiritual development – giving them a foun-dation in Bible study and prayer, so that they know how to apply God’s

word to their lives; 2) learning their history and culture; and 3) training their bodies to be physically fit.

Elder Young is also one of the spiritual leaders of the Program praying and sharing bible scripture with the CB Parents. Elder Young is very proud of the work he does with CB;

Elder Young was born in Harlem, raised during the school year in Brooklyn and spent every summer growing up with family in North Carolina, where he knew everyone in his com-munity. This is how he learned the importance of having manners and developing positive relationships with people, skills he encourages in the young men. Elder Young joined the Marines six days after graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn and he served for six years, attaining the position of Chief Administrator. His professional career included more than 17 years at one company in corporate America. When his company relocated to North Carolina, he stayed in New York and used the experience he had gained volunteering at his children’s schools over the years to obtain a permanent position in education. Elder Young is currently a paraprofessional for special education. In addition to his career in education and leadership in CB, Elder Young takes great pride in his family…Cassandra Ann Young, his wife of 27 years, his four adult children and three grandchildren.

Elder Young’s vision and prayer for CB are to see the organiza-tion grow to have a relationship with all schools in NYC and for it to continue to be a parent and family support system. With an eye to the future, Elder Young has identified three buildings in Brooklyn that would be excellent facilities for CB. He asks that all CB parents come to him first when they need assistance, and that they pray for the future of the program and continue to “Trust The Vision”.

Mr. Nelson is totally commit-ted to being the Special Events & Outreach Coordinator of Chionesu Bakari. It affords him the opportu-nity to mentor the young men on the discipline of public speaking, share his personal experience of the significance of being a part of a brotherhood and pledging a frater-nity. His responsibilities range from assisting with assembling presenta-tions, providing tutoring, helping the young men with diction, enunciation and clear self-ex-pression, and just helping out by doing whatever is needed. January will make 7 years that Chionesu Bakari has been blessed with Mr. Keir Nelson’s contributions.

Mr. Nelson has been faced with a multitude of responsibilities in this role and his myriad of skills, expertise, education and knowledge have made him more than capable of excelling in them all. A graduate of The State University at New Paltz, Mr. Nelson has a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Management, has worked for the NYC Housing Authority for 23 years as a Director of a Senior Center in Brooklyn and as a Community Coordinator working with children and senior citizens in theatre and communications. A phenomenal pub-lic speaker with a successful acting career and a passionate love for theatre, Mr. Nelson has received many accolades on stage. In spite of this, and all of his other accomplishments in life, Mr. Nelson says that he is most proud of the fact that GOD has never given up on him.

Mr. Nelson grew up in a two- parent household and remem-bers being a part of the Boy Scouts and other similar organi-zations, but there weren’t any programs like CB! CB is a pro-found gift that leaves him wondering where the world would be if this program existed back then.

In the very spirit of this holiday season, one of Mr. Nelson’s prayers is for Chionesu Bakari to finally have a building of its own. “This building would serve not just to house the pro-gram and its many great activities but is also symbolic to the continuous building within the program that transforms our young men. A building of our own would further enable us to take the world by storm.”

Keir Nelson CB Special Events and Outreach

Elder Victor YoungCB Assistant Director

By Sharon SwainBy Charisse Smith

Chionesu Bakari Staff Profiles

Page 3: CB Newsletter - Nov/Dec 2013

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Vaughn Curmon, Coordinator of Special Services and Outreach for Chionesu Bakari is a native of the Bed Stuy section of Brooklyn, New York. As the oldest of 3 siblings Vaughn was working at 14 and un-derstood the importance of man-aging responsibilities and being accountable. Raised by his mother, with an estranged father self-reli-ance guided his positive and some-

times challenging journey through manhood. Ultimately the challenges he faced, coupled with attending the “Million Man March” in 1995, led him to join St. Paul Community Baptist Church (SPCBC) where he is now an Elder. Then in 2008, he became a part of the leadership of Chionesu Bakari.

At SPCBC, he shined as a leader, team collaborator, and youth mentor. In 2001, Elder Curmon was appointed to Armor-bearer for the then Assistant Pastor David K. Brawley. The role re-quires the highest levels of integrity and commitment in sup-port of the Pastor. As a result of his service, Elder Curmon was handpicked, by Pastor Emeritus Rev. Johnny Ray Youngblood, Pastor David K. Brawley, and the Board of Elders to be a part

Elder Vaughn Curmon CB Special Services and Outreach

CB Alumni, Byron King Jr., writes of his experiences during his first semester at Walsh University in Ohio. Byron shares how he car-ried the Chionesu Bakari brother-hood and skills with him while he managed academics and his re-sponsibilities as Wide Receiver for the Walsh University Cavaliers.

I can honestly say I consider my first semester of col-lege a success! I got a

sense that I went into college a lot more prepared than most of the other students. Remembering the Chionesu Bakari workshops provided me the preparation for my college experience. Most of those workshops involved time management skills, which has helped me juggle my time and finances. Thanks to Chionesu Bakari I appeared to be a lot more equipped to handle the immense respon-sibility of being on my own. While away at school handling my chores of laundry and meal preparation came with ease

“ One of the great things about Chionesu Bakari that I value are the strong bonds created with the other

young men that I now call brothers! ”

By Byron King Jr.

By Susan T. D. Rodriguez

Letter from a Young Black ManCB ALUM MANAGES ACADEMICS, FOOTBALL AND FUN AT WALSH UNIVERSITY

in-part, because when we traveled this was one of our respon-sibilities. CB workshops in finance and managing my money during our away trips prepared me to budget properly while at college.

Juggling papers, study time, and my football responsibilities have put my time management skills to the test constantly. However, I can say I have been on time for classes/meetings and have still been able to set time aside to have a little fun. Thanks to Chionesu Bakari, I have the skills to prioritize my time and organize my life sufficiently and I accomplish these

tasks on a regular basis.

One of the great things about Chionesu Bakari that I value are the strong bonds created with the other young men that I now call brothers! Do we keep in touch? Yes, and I know if I need any one of them they will be there for

me and vice versa. It feels great to be a part of an organization where you can always come back and talk to the staff for any kind of support. I truly want to thank Mr. Moore and the staff for all their support.

of The Board of Elders at St. Paul. For the last 12 years Elder Vaughn Curmon has selflessly served in his roles for the Pastor and The Board of Elders. All while progresing through his now 26 year career with NYC Transit Authority. By his side is his wife Jestine, and their 2 daughters Jazmine and Javonni.

As the Special Services and Outreach Coordinator, Elder Vaughn Curmon supports the young men by acting as proxy on behalf of their families at their sons’ schools. Elder Curmon’s role provides support for the young men in the face of poten-tial bias, or as a positive African American male mentor, provid-ing correction and encouragement. In addition, he has taken on family mediation when necessary as unresolved issues with the young men arise. Elder Curmon is also responsible for extending the mission of CB to external organizations. As a liaison with different community organizations and schools, he continues to coordinate volunteer opportunities for the CB Young Men. In addition, he leads workshops based on CB pro-gramming of brotherhood to the various age groups.

Elder Curmon is committed to being a guide and mentor to CB young men. His hope for CB is that the next group of CB leaders will come from with-in the young men today, carrying the torch forward. “We are products of our environment, if your environment wasn’t healthy, loving, nurturing, we must create that for the future of our children”

Page 4: CB Newsletter - Nov/Dec 2013

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Meet The CB 2013-2014 Young Men & Families

Young Man: Jalen Bridges Age: 12 Parents/Guardians: Thomas Bridges Why CB? The Bridges desired a brotherhood for Jalen. As members of St. Paul Community Baptist Church, Jalen’s parent’s observed the CB Young Men in the community when bringing their daughter to Freedom School this past summer. Based on everything they witnessed, the Bridges trust that Jalen is in good hands and that CB has his best interest at heart.

Young Man: Ryan White Age: 12 Parents/Guardians: Alana Bernard Why CB? Ms. Bernard, heard about the pro-gram from the principal where she works. She felt CB could be in-strumental with helping Ryan face some life issues.

Young Man: Dennis Hedgepath Age: 14 Parents/Guardians: Delisa Mead-Hedgepath Why CB? Ms. Mead-Hedgepath liked what she saw in the young men of CB when she would see them speak or perform at church. Delisa felt the program would be great for Dennis to be with young men that are doing positive things.

Young Man: Keith Paul Reche Age: 17 Parents/Guardians: Evetta Gaines Why CB? Ms. Gaines likes CB because the pro-gram diligently works at ensuring its young men are headed in the right direction.

Young Man: Nazir Warren Age: 8 Parents/Guardians: Nga & Katwona Warren Why CB ? The Warrens were impressed with the way the Young Men of CB carry themselves in the church as well as in the community.

Young Man: Kahlil Gravenhise Age: 8 Parents/Guardians: Royston Lancaster & Monique Gravenhise Why CB? Ms. Gravenhise wanted to ensure her son had positive strong male mentors to help guide him. She was impressed after seeing the young men of CB perform and speak several times at St Paul’s in 2012 and decided to look into the program. Her research led her to believe, that CB is capable of guiding Kahlil through the many stages of manhood.

Information provided by Terri Butler, Latoya Kittrell, and Charisse Smith

* We also welcome Victor Floyd Jr. and his family to CB.

Page 5: CB Newsletter - Nov/Dec 2013

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Young Man: Preston Kilkenny Age: 8 Parents/Guardians: Colin and Nicole Kilkenny Why CB? Colin and Nicole Kilkenny want Preston to embody responsibility and learn that he can overcome the struggles, take on difficult projects and confront his fears during the ups and downs of childhood. The Kilkennys believe CB will augment his transition into young adulthood and help him process the lessons learned aiding in his success.

Young Man: Janoah Harrison Age: 14 Parents/Guardians: Heidi Cox Why CB? Heidi was exposed to CB through her daughter’s dance program Cradle & Rock at St. Paul’s. She watched the young men perform at the baby dedication and the Rites of Passage Ceremony, which peeked her interest. Rhonda and Wayne Hartley’s association with CB validated her interest in the program for her son.

Monica Britton, has been the Administrative Support for Chionesu Bakari since 2008. Monica became a part of this organization because she saw a need for her skills in administration and social media, and knew that they would be important as the program contin-ued to grow. Additionally her godson, Marcus, who was generally shy at the time, was in the program and she wanted to make him feel comfortable being around other young men. Monica is also a member of the Social Media Committee within CB and oversees the work they do. She makes a conscious effort to stay

back and allow the parents to let their creative side shine through and helps by adding her finishing touches when necessary.

Monica shared the following on why she remains committed to CB, “I started working with St. Paul Community Baptist Church in 2006 which was the same year that Chionesu Bakari started their summer program. As I watched the young men, I knew that this was a different program. Mr. Moore’s level of com-mitment to the program makes me that much more committed. It’s not about him, it’s about his individual, personal passion for the program and the young men, and there is nothing that he won’t do to help them. It’s great to see a Black Man that has had no previous connection to them become so committed to them and that’s great.”

Her prayer request for Chionesu Bakari is for the organization to be able to con-tinue to grow outside of Brooklyn and New York City and to be able to incorpo-rate what is being done. “It would be great to “mass-produce” the program all while keeping the same vision and principles in tact, kind of like what Geoffrey Canada has done with the Harlem Children’s Zone. It would be great to do that with Chionesu in other states,” said Monica Britton. “It’s an important work that has been done for the past several years so something is being done right, but other young men need to be able to experience this and have the same oppor-tunity with the same results in other parts of the country.”

Monica Britton graduated from Westbury High School in Westbury, Long Island. She then attended The State University at Albany where she attained a BA in English, while minoring in Communications. Prior to her current role at SPCBC as Director of Communications & Special Projects, Monica held several Regional and National Marketing Leadership roles in Universal Motown Records, EMI Music Distribution and Virgin Records America. Monica has been awarded for her work in Industry and the Non-Profit sector. Her awards include, Woman of Inspiration by The Positive Community Magazine; Named one of the top 50 Black Women in Entertainment (#22) by Black Noir Magazine; Featured in Black Enterprise and Urban Network Magazines; and Finer Woman of the Year by Kappa Epsilon Zeta of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Monica Britton CB Administrative Support

By Paulette Bailey

Chionesu Bakari Staff Profile

v

Page 6: CB Newsletter - Nov/Dec 2013

6

IN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, THE STORIES OF THE ULTIMATE GIFT RECEIVED FOR TWO CB FAMILIES

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 30% of those currently awaiting organ donations are African American. Yet in 2012, only 20% of all transplant recipients were African American, with 17% of all deceased donors being of African American descent. Despite these daunting statis-tics, Chionesu Bakari is blessed to have not only one parent who is an organ transplant recipient, but two! This season we shared our family values, traditions and what we are most grateful for and although we came up with many new ideas, we all agreed that the gift of “LIFE” topped everyone’s list.

During recent moving interviews with Pamela Watson and Wayne Hartley they shared part of their miraculous stories with us. Pamela mother to 17yr. old Marcus, was diagnosed with a con-dition called Sarcoidosis. No one knows what brings on the onset of Sarcoidosis, but it is a disease caused by small areas of inflammation. It can affect any part of the body but is most common in the lungs called pulmonary sarcoidosis. In serious cases such as Pam’s, sarcoidosis can affect the lungs’ ability to move oxy-gen into the bloodstream.

Pam, I’d like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your story with us.

AM: How did you learn that you needed an organ transplant?

PW: I’d never really been sick before but in 1988 I began to develop a rash and bloodshot eyes. I attributed it to being exposed to various ele-

ments in the air and figured it was aller-gies. After visiting my doctor I re-ceived my diagnosis and I was prescribed pred-nisone. I was in in remission and the symptoms would come and go, but as time passed my condition worsened.

I began to have frequent lung & nasal infections, so my doctor referred me to a Pulmonary Specialist for an evalu-ation. At my first meeting my oxygen level was so low they wanted to hos-pitalize me. Soon I needed oxygen full time and had a bout with the H1N1 flu. Eventually, I couldn’t walk more than 10-20 feet and ended up in a scooter.

AM: What did you experience emotion-ally when you learned that you’d need a transplant?

PM: When I learned that I’d need a transplant I was scared and anxious and didn’t know how it was going turn out, but I knew that I had to exercise my faith in God. I was mostly concerned about my children Marcus, Michelle, and Victoria who were respectively 16, 10, and 11 at the time.

AM: How did your illness impact your family?

PW: Our entire family was impacted. My husband worried about me and what the outcome of my medical crisis would be. Marcus was not focusing in school like he should’ve been and the girls were nervous in their own way. Even today, they still have some nervousness around my health especially if they hear me coughing or looking tired.

AM: I understand the hospital called you several times to come in for a trans-plant, only to find out that the organs weren’t viable?

PW: Yes, I actually was called seven times be-fore there was a via-ble match. Sometimes while the organ is har-vested the doctors re-alize that it may not be the best match for you and that’s what hap-

pened in my case.

AM: How has the organ transplant im-proved your quality of life?

PW: 99% of people don’t know the im-pact of not being able to breath. People can’t imagine how many breathes it takes to live in a day. My life is 100% improved, I’ve been sick for 5-6 years. Marcus, my son, knew me healthy, but the girls only knew me as being sickly. Life is awesome and I do a lot now. I’m currently attending Fordham University full time, pursuing a degree in psychol-ogy and I’m doing fun things with the kids that I wasn’t able to do before the transplant.

AM: Many people are hesitant about becoming a donor. Some believe they won’t get the same quality of care in the hospital if they consented to be a donor. What would you say to the com-munity regarding becoming an organ donor?

PW: Doctors and hospitals are not in the business of taking a life, but to save a life. People need to know that organ

“ 99% of people don’t know the impact of not being able to breath.

People can’t imagine how many

breathes it takes to live in a day.”

The Gift of Life

Page 7: CB Newsletter - Nov/Dec 2013

7

“ I’m a testament of faith. Many people whom I didn’t even know

prayed for me. My life is not a coincidence but a gift and I have to

fulfill my purpose. ”

donations save numbers of countless lives. Unless you have a religious belief, I say give and let somebody else live.

I’m so grateful to the unselfishness of the family who donated my lungs, had it not been for their generosity and compas-sion, my children may have only known me as always being sickly. I’d also say the love and support from family and friends have helped me get through it. My family rallied around me and helped me tremendously. The prayers, love and support of my church family St. Paul Community Baptist Church, (Brooklyn, NY); the Deaf Ministry, Chionesu Bakari put me more at ease during this ordeal.

Wayne Hartley father to 13 yr. old Brandon and 21 yr. old Wayne Jr., has been blessed three times over. Wayne’s story like Pamela’s is truly a miracle. Wayne was di-agnosed with a condition called Cardiomyopathy. The disease weakens and enlarges the heart. Cardiomyopathy makes it hard-er for the heart to pump blood and deliver it to the rest of the body. Ultimately, it can lead to heart failure. Wayne learned that he’d need a heart transplant in February 2002 and the most amazing and miraculous thing happened, he received his new heart three day later on Valentine’s Day!

AM: Wayne, thank you for giving of your time to share your miracle(s) with us. How did you learn that you’d need an organ?

WH: In 2001 my health rapidly began to

decline without any apparent reason. I had a lack of energy and became wind-ed after simple tasks like tying my shoe. I went to several doctors to figure out what was happening. The first doctor I visited told me I had asthma and gave me a pump. The second doctor I visited told me I had an upper respiratory in-fection and gave me antibiotics. To no avail my symptoms didn’t improve, I was extremely tired and had shortness of breath. I decided to seek another opinion and it was this time that a chest x-ray revealed an enlarged heart.

AM: What did you experience emotion-ally when you learned that you’d need a transplant?

WH: More than anything, the idea of not knowing what to expect was fright-ening. I was a newlywed and my son wasn’t 2yrs old yet.

AM: How did your illness impact your family?

WH: I was in the hospital A LOT and it was touch and go for a while. During this time my wife had to take care of our year old son, work and visit me reg-ularly. My friends and family were con-cerned and prayed for my family and I continually. It was a very emotional and

extremely hard time in our lives. The idea of a not getting an organ in time was overwhelming.

AM: I know first hand that you were not just blessed with one organ but not long ago you had a need for another organ. Tell us about that:

WH: Often times other organs are af-fected as a result of the different medi-cation given for the initial transplant. In 2011, not only did I need a kidney transplant but a pacemaker as well. It

was definitely

one of those times that it paid off for me to be the only son and youngest of eight children. My sisters were tested to see if they were compatible and thank God my sister Jackie tested positive and gave me another chance at life by donating her kidney. I also received a pacemaker. That was a real big deal for me, because I realized many people es-pecially African Americans don’t receive the organs they desperately need.

AM: Many organ recipients say they be-lieve they’ve taken on some quality of their donor, have you ever experienced anything out of the ordinary in that way?

WH: I think my donor had skills in the kitchen. Prior to my surgery I never cooked or baked, now I am an EXCELLENT baker. I sell cupcakes as well as cakes and enjoy hosting dinner par-ties where my fine cuisine is featured.

AM: How has the organ transplant im-proved your quality of life?

WH: I am blessed to see my children grow up and remain in a successful marriage. I was able to retire from the NYC Department of Corrections and enjoy more time with my family, friends and develop my cooking skills. Without a doubt, I’m a testament of faith. Many people whom I didn’t even know prayed for me. My life is not a coincidence but a gift and I have to fulfill my purpose. I am still unsure as to what that is – but I try daily to live right. I never want to miss my purpose by not obeying God. It is crucial that our community gives back. Surely, I have been blessed be-yond measure with all of the surgeries that I’ve undergone. Without the love of God, and an excellent support system of family and friends, I would’ve never made it this far. I’m grateful! By Antoinette Miller

Page 8: CB Newsletter - Nov/Dec 2013

Visit Chionesu Bakari Online

Learn More about our Program

& Support Young Black Men!

www.youngblackmanonline.org

Credits

This newsletter is published by:

Chionesu Bakari 859 Hendrix Street Brooklyn, New York 11207

Phone: 347-708-2008 [email protected] www.youngblackmanonline.org

This newsletter is also available online @ www.youngblackmanonline.org

©2013 – All rights reserved

Editor Horace L. Moore

Newsletter Team Susan T. D. Rodriguez Paulette Bailey Monica Britton Terri Butler Latoya Kittrell Antoinette Miller Tosca Myers Charisse Smith Sharon Swain

December 2013 Holiday Calendars - $20 per calendar

January 2014 MLK Jr. weekend

Annual Bowl-a-Thon

February 2014 02/15 - 02/21 -

North Carolina & New Orleans Trip

June 2014 06/06 - Annual Gala

Tickets $125, Black Tie

California Trip

June / August 2014 CB Family Cruise

Summer Session Begins

Please check our website for the latest information

CB Coming Events

v

The CB Family sold tickets to our extend-ed family and friends to join us in viewing “The Best Man Holiday” on Friday November 22nd. I’m proud to say the theater was packed to the gills! We held a raffle

for two great prizes: a 40 inch flat screen TV and a $175 gift card. Congratulations to our winners!

All week I saw comments on Facebook from people about how great the movie was and how it took them through all types of emotions. As I watched the movie sitting among CB family and supporters I couldn’t help but notice some of the principles and topics discussed many times in our CB parents’ workshops being played out in the movie. Trust, respect, love, forgiveness and family. As we saw in the movie, forgiveness plays a major role in relation-ships and the biggest breakthrough comes for the forgivers once they open themselves up to forgive. You’ll never know all that you are missing out on by holding on to distrust and not forgiving others.

Our events are also an opportunity for our supporters to learn more about CB and our goals and visions. Pamphlets and pens along with a warm smile were given to our guests as they en-tered the theater. There is always laughter, fun and an underlying commitment to growing our program! I always enjoy our CB events because I get to mingle with the other parents as we work together to make the event a success.

CB Family Fun @ The Movies

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

& HAPPY NEW YEAR

See you in 2014!

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

& HAPPY NEW YEAR

See you in 2014!

By Tosca Myers