Our Mission.
The role of Youth for Humanity is to equip the next generation, particularly youth from underserved communities, with leadership faculties that will guide them to become outstanding and recognized members of their greater community.
We facilitate programming and activities that engage youth participants in volunteer and charitable work. Our academic and professional workshops prepare them for higher education and future employment opportunities.
Our Story.
Clarkston, Georgia, noted as one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States, is the kind of place that United Nations leaders dream about. Sparked during the 1990s exodus of long time residents and an open housing market, refugee settlement programs identified Clarkston as an ideal location for displaced persons from all over the world. For so many, this city has become their new home.
Today, Clarkston is a model city not only in terms of its practices in handling displaced citizens but also in terms of the city’s diversity, which is its greatest treasure and an example of cultural inclusion. However, there is a reoccurring commonality in the narratives of refugee families. After listening to their stories of forcefully having to flee their homelands, it is reasonable to understand why they came to America with next to no financial resources. As a result, many children in these vulnerable communities often lack some of the fundamentals needed for social immersion and growth in their new homeland. In particular, many lack consistent healthy nutritional diets, and with respect to education, many do not have access to high-speed internet or proper guidance/mentoring towards a college education. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted this concern with many students being forced to attend school online, these issues have been prevalent even prior to the pandemic.
Youth for Humanity (Y4H) seeks to remove the challenges faced by underserved youth while on their pursuit of a higher level of education. Our path to achieving this goal is an agile approach to the individual needs of our youth and their parents because no two youth are the same. And our team, as detailed in our business plan, is made up of professionals who are relevant to our programs that mentor the youth with the latest technological, technique, and market trends.
The spark of Youth for Humanity originated from The Squires Organization, a Catholic mentoring program for young men ages 10 -18. Our connection to the Squires is our very own founder, Oduntan Gordon, who is and continues to be the Chief Counselor of one of the local Squires charter in the Clarkston area. Within the Catholic community, this charter received many accolades for its remarkable achievements that include medical and humanitarian trips to other countries to outreach programs serving the less fortunate population of the metro Atlanta area. In addition, educational mentoring of these young men towards a college degree. These extraordinary projects were used as team building catalysts to inspire the youth to strive to be the best version of themselves.
Seeing the need and demand because of such close proximity to the Clarkston refugee population, Youth for Humanity was created with a similar concept to offer the same benefits as the Squires but to ALL youth who may benefit.
Clarkston may be the primary focus now, however, we are constantly finding ways to include our services to serve other cities and continents.