Hello, everyone.

I'm Rameca Vincent Leary, and welcome to this edition of Connecting the Community.

It's a sheer joy to witness the amazing work of non profit organizations both near and far during this episode will highlight three specific nonprofits whose initiatives are far reaching will shout a resounding banner up with the Miracle League of Pensacola.

Next will get in step with the Pensacola Omega Lamp lighters, while also exploring the organization's plethora of outreach initiatives.

But first, we'll focus on the Alzheimer Association, specifically the Central and North Florida chapter.

We'll also delve into the amazing inroads that have been made from a research perspective.

I'm honored to welcome Andre Hall, program director for the Alzheimer's Association, Central and North Florida Chapter.

He's joined by Chastity Brooks, a faithful volunteer.

Next, we have Dr. Pashia Groom, who serves as a clinical psychologist with the Panhandle Research and Medical Clinic.

It's a pleasure to have all of you on the show.

I will tell you, purple is one of my favorite color.

So I am loving it.

Andre, let's start with you, because our viewing audience really wants to know general overview.

What is Alzheimer's?

So Alzheimer's is not not a normal part of aging.

That's really important for everyone to know.

It is a progressive brain disease that starts to affect memory thinking behavior, and it is not a normal part of just the aging process.

And so it's a disease that we need to try to find treatment for and find a cure for.

So some might say, what are the telltale signs, Right?

Yes.

And that's one of the questions that we get a lot.

And what people usually see is disruptions in memory.

Right.

Someone not being able to remember things that they were remembering well before or it may be issues doing or problems doing familiar tasks that they didn't have a problem with before.

And so it begins there.

And many times families may notice it.

And then that prompts them to try to see what's going on, what's causing that person to have these types of symptoms.

So, Andre, when I visited your website, I was reviewing a few details.

It's interesting the impact on our viewing area or audience.

Elaborate on that a little bit, please.

It is, and it's certainly an impact that can't be denied.

When we look at the numbers, we know that one in eight Floridians who are age 65 or over are impacted and have Alzheimer's.

And we also know that is a disease of age.

And so around age 65 is when we normally start seeing it.

And after age 65, every five years, the risk doubles.

And so it's certainly something that's impactful not only to the person that is getting are experiencing it, but to the family, because they bear the unpaid caregiving load with 827,000 of them taking care of someone who has Alzheimer's.

All right.

Now, Cassidy, you have an amazing story.

The founder of Axles for Alzheimer's.

And when I was looking at some of the images, these old cars from back in the day.

So what piqued your interest in the Alzheimer's Association?

Well, we had a suspicion back around 15, 14, 15 of my mother in law having the disease.

And 16 I was part of an organization and we formed a team to with the walk and 17 we became caregivers in our home.

So it was directly affecting us and we got to see the horrific effects of the disease firsthand.

And so you were an amazing volunteer.

You mentioned the walk to end Alzheimer's, Pensacola.

And I know that you always have a great turnout for that.

Why don't you tell us a little bit more about that.

So the Walk to end Alzheimer's is a event that we like to do, and it brings people together who are showing support for each other.

We're letting each other know that you're not alone.

We're still fighting.

We're still an advocate for you.

And we're not stopping yet.

Now, you're quite modest because I know I mentioned axles for Alzheimer's.

Your hands are in their several paws.

So why don't you tell us about that?

So I try to do things that are family friendly.

Alzheimer's can be very challenging to get attention and fundraise for.

And I like to do big things.

I like to do things that aren't normally done with other organizations.

And who doesn't like cars?

Right.

Who doesn't?

She doesn't like cars.

So we started Axles for Alzheimer's.

And we get together.

We have a good time.

We do games for the family.

Just it's it's a good day.

Oh, my goodness.

If I were to peruse that website right now, I would definitely be wowed.

So, Dr. Groom, thank you so much for appearing on the show with us.

Tell us about Alzheimer's and the other dementia related impact that really our community is facing right now.

We appreciate that medical perspective.

Sure.

Well, the impact is starting to be even more and more pronounced in younger people.

And that's the thing I really wanted to highlight, that it's not just a disease of aging.

We're beginning to see and identify early onset Alzheimer's in people as young as 50.

And so the impact you can imagine is great because that's our workforce.

It's not just people who retired or who are retiring.

And a lot of these people have children still in high school.

And so it's the impact is far reaching.

And we're beginning to see the full and really understand the full spectrum of the of the disease and aiming research and treatments that direction.

So early onset Alzheimer's, can you describe what a person might see in general?

We're seeing some of the exact same signs that we see in in the typical onset of Alzheimer's, the short term memory loss, disorganization, those kinds of things that you might also see mental health symptoms like increased anxiety, irritability, agitation, in a sense that the personalities kind of starts to shift things like that and some interesting features of the early onset Alzheimer's and is genetically related and identified is that it's a little bit more fast acting.

So we tend to see people the decline happened quicker and so the impact to the family is not greater, just it tends to be intensified.

In terms of the disease process, very much needed information there.

Andre, back to you.

Because now we'll focus on what the association is doing locally and also on a statewide level to support those impacted.

And I will preface it by saying the brain buss.

I saw that and I was amazed.

Why don't you talk about that?

Certainly it's something that we're very proud of.

So the brain busses are a mobile unit that actually tours the whole state of Florida.

It is funded to go to every county in Florida, and the purpose is to make certain that we provide access to those who may not have the opportunity to go and get information from from the association.

And so it does a lot of traveling.

I commend the drivers who stay on the road taking that bus to every county in Florida and just extending our outreach, especially to those who may be underserved and who may need more of an access point to get information about Alzheimer's disease.

Now, it sounds fascinating.

So what is actually done on the bus?

Why don't you walk us through that process?

So the bus parks it comes to it could be perhaps be a parking lot or some event that's going on at parks.

It opens up and then there's a table that's out front where someone can come up and get information or they can go on the bus where they could watch educational presentations, have more in-depth conversations about something that may be a concern of theirs, and see more things related to the disease process of Alzheimer's, but more on a specific level rather than just being outside and getting things off of a table.

Indeed.

So Cassidy, you do a lot as a volunteer, and I know that you wear a lot of hats, so talk about maybe a day in the life of chastity, because there are so many things that you're doing at a higher level, right, to help those impacted by this.

And I know we've spoken about a few already, but what about support groups, educational programs?

So my big purpose of being out in the public, I try to get out if I can do festivals, events, I try to be out to be an outreach to people.

There is yet a person, an event that I've been to that I haven't met someone that either needs information and I can help guide them with the support groups who's available, information on our website, or just letting them know these symptoms are normal symptoms.

This is the next step to take or this is who I suggest you talk to.

So that's my big thing.

A I'm a mom, a grandma business.

So my husband and I and we all mixed in the Alzheimer's with everything else.

It's it's normal to us.

It's a family affair.

Amazing.

Dr. Groom, I know that there are new treatments out there that are being offered, Right?

So, yeah, research is so paramount.

And I know we have some amazing video of that gentleman holding a human brain and just analyzing it.

So please elaborate on new treatments.

We're pretty excited to be and we're really super blessed to be living in this area.

And what we're beginning to see is what's really lagged, I would say, in a way for 15 years is the development of drugs.

It takes a long time.

People don't really realize it takes over nine years to develop one molecule to go through the process.

It takes in the research and costs somewhere around $5.7 billion to develop a one drug for Alzheimer's.

So the impact that the Alzheimer's Association has on research, a lot of people don't realize they're the number one private donating that association to research.

So they're a big part of that and governments involved and of course, other private pharmaceuticals and those kinds of things.

But the new drugs we have out out now, I tell people to listen for a couple of new FDA approved drugs, and these are drugs that are really slowing down the process and, dare we say, somewhat halting the process in terms of the disease process.

We call this disease modifying treatments.

And those are different than the typical Aricept, Namenda and some of the drugs of the past that people would be familiar with.

And it's an exciting time.

We're modifying the environment around the genes that are associated with Alzheimer's to keep it from coming on and to slow it down from progressing.

So we're really they're it's an exciting time to be to be alive and to be watching it happen.

Research is also taking us in the direction of clinical trials.

Do you have the amount of people that you need for those?

Is there an overarching yearning for more to participate?

I will tell you that we always need volunteers because this is such an impacting disease on our nation, especially in America.

Those who have the genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's, who live in other countries actually have a lower rate of developing the disease.

So this tells us that there's something about our lifestyles, our environment and those kinds of things that that are having a massive impact on our society.

So, yes, we need more volunteers at the studies that I am an investigator on principal investigator, we do the that work at Panhandle Research, a medical clinic here in Pensacola, and we're really excited to be working on some super progressive treatments.

It's it's a really wonderful thing and a good thing to be a part of.

And we encourage anyone who thinks they might have symptoms.

We have a screening process and we work closely with people's physicians and neurologists and those kinds of things.

But if you ever think that or wonder if you have a family member, look us up, give us a call, we'll be happy to walk you through it.

Enjoy to hear all of that.

So, Andre, we know that you are always in need of volunteers like the good doctor has mentioned.

So let's focus on some of the educational programs affiliated with the organization.

Certainly.

Certainly.

So part of what I do in the community is make sure that we do different programing that helps those community members, whether they be professionals, family members, learn more about the disease progress process and learn more about what they can do and what to expect.

Because a lot of times Alzheimer's is something that is something a donor, Stan, is new to them and they don't know what to expect.

And so they learn about different behaviors, how to manage them, and then learn more about what to do and how to access services that will help them as they take care of the loved one.

That may be going through this tenacity I know that people can get involved in so many varying ways via a blog, write in on the website, news and Resources.

Can you tell us a little bit more about those too?

So we always accept volunteers.

It's great to have smiling faces.

There's so many people that's been affected by it.

We can put you to work somewhere so you can be at one of the events with us or you can do education segments and help with that.

So we are very open to having people come on board all the time because we've got some more for you.

And we really do appreciate all that information.

I know that I learned a lot, and so did our viewers.

Now, folks, recently it was a special day at OJ Simms Elementary School in Pensacola.

Many of my WSB colleagues were proud to be among the dozens of community volunteers to bring smiles to the faces of children.

Derrick Brooks Charities partnered with Bell's department stores and Souls for Souls to present a new pair of shoes to every student at the school.

Former NFL player Derrick Brooks was on hand as preschool through fifth grade students embraced a day filled with joy and excitement.

Take a look.

We'll be back right after this.

it's goals.

You know, we have we have 600 stores all over the U.S. and Florida is our home base.

And actually, we partner with Derrick Brooks charities on golf tournaments and other things and some children and family initiatives.

And when they told us about this school, it just really pulled my heartstrings.

So we have souls for souls and some of our other charitable partners, and they have a global reach.

And this is their wheelhouse and this is what they do.

oh, they'll get a big kick out of it.

It's wonderful.

We all like to have shoes that we can be comfortable in and be proud of.

It will make a difference for them.

They are so excited.

They were excited leading up to the event and they're just coming in so excited and jumping in their shoes, running in their shoes.

They're just big smiles, very happy.

as I started working with Principal Sanders here at O.J.

Semmes it just became another need that we want to fulfill.

So we just want to bring joy to all these kiddos in here today and just the opportunity to provide them with a pair of brand new shoes.

And to me is more than just the shoes.

It's an opportunity to show love and see smiles on their faces and and give back.

And I just thank God for the opportunity to do And for us to be able to come out to treat these kids to something that they really need.

It's not just a feel good story.

We're doing something with purpose.

And these kids, they need shoes.

So that's why we're here.

They had gave me some, um, Nike, I mean, and Nike's.

They look pretty good.

So what do you think your friends are feeling?

Everybody seems pretty excited.

Talk to me about what the kids are feeling.

they're saying.

They are.

They're their shoes are very cool and they like them very much.

I think the biggest impact today is here's a whole group of people that are doing something meaningful to them that they go home.

And I remember as a kid, you know, when you get a new pair of shoes sometimes that your whole life you go home and you put them on the shelf and you look at them and you're excited about it.

And I just remember how meaningful that is.

And I know that is something that they'll identify with and it'll be important to them.

Yeah, it means lot of different things to these kids.

For some kids.

It means that they are coming to school ready to learn and more engaged.

For others.

They feel an increased sense of confidence and greater belonging feel more equal to their peers.

Perhaps they're not getting bullied because of the shoes on their feet.

For others, it means that they can maybe try out for the sports team for the first time.

So it really helps boost confidence.

It helps increase access to education and just makes kids feel more joyful and better about themselves.

I don't.

Third grade, am I?

And I'm eight years old.

What are we doing here today?

Getting new shoes.

So tell me about that.

When you came in here and what happened?

I saw so many people and I got to meet new people and I got to meet the person who started to give us new shoes.

What's his name, do you know?

No, it's.

It's.

Mr. BROOKS Yeah.

Mr. Brooks?

Yeah.

You talk to him.

So what did you say to him?

I said, I like the shoes.

And I really thought, yeah, he was so kind for giving us these shoes.

Tell me about your shoes you picked out.

I want to hear all about and pretend I can't see him.

Tell me what they look like.

They're pink flip pink and blue and green with pink ties.

And they're so face.

They are.

For me, it's all about empowerment.

And today the empowerment process just happens to be providing a pair of brand new shoes.

So when I'm working with kids and look at their total kid and building them up, I look at every resource possible to pour into that young man or that young lady to make them the best version of them, to make them better for tomorrow, because the kids are our future.

So to me, I look at a little different.

It's not about a knee, it's about buying a resource to make these kids better in their forward thinking, not backward status.

teachers name is Miss Miss Mark and the subject I really like is math reading.

And I like science too.

I like math because it helps you migrate your brain to get more smarter.

You are absolutely right about that.

I used to be a teacher.

Math does help to do that.

So where are you going to be when you grow up?

I want to be a teacher.

Really?

Tell me about that.

What do you want to teach?

I want to teach fourth grade and I want them to move on to college.

Where are you going to be when you grow up?

My room.

I'm going to be an engineer.

with me, I really do the best I can to meet kids where they are, not where I want them to be, but meet them where they are in this bill and let's repair and just try to show them a bright light that's out there in the future by the time that I invest in them.

So I would say that to each young man, a young lady, Haley's free.

Let's get some perspective and know that you can be in control of your own destiny by how you respond because you can control your attitude.

And so just seeing the things that he does and doesn't want the publicity for it.

That tells you a lot about his heart.

he wants like to give people a chance in life, you know, and to make a to make kid's life like a better opportunity.

so many people help support OJ Semmes and they are our backbone.

We could not do the things we do.

They mentor.

They volunteer or they provide support for our teachers and do nice things for our teachers.

It's just incredible support.

And today we had 69 volunteers that came from all around the community.

So we're real blessed.

It's a wonderful opportunity for students and so we are grateful to be here.

You see all of these people around that have come together because together we make a difference.

And so our district team is united for every student to succeed.

This is a part of what we mean by that.

We come together, we work together, our kids see us together, and they leave here with something that they will have that knows that we are working together for them.

Hello, everyone.

During this segment, I pose a question.

How much do you like seeing our youngsters smile?

Well, that's a no brainer for me.

Always.

I'm thrilled to highlight the Miracle League of Pensacola in this segment because among other things, that's what they do.

I'm happy to welcome Kathleen Ireland, who serves as recruitment chair.

She's joined by Dawn Head Game day coordinator.

Plus, it's always a treat to see one of my former students, Dan Frisbee, who has taken on the role of Indians coach to round out the segment.

We have game day, buddy.

Nathan Hannah.

Welcome to all of you.

Smiles all around, right, Kathleen?

Absolutely.

So give us an overview of the Miracle League of Pensacola.

And the Miracle League is a group that basically set out to ensure that every child gets the opportunity to play baseball.

I love that.

Yeah.

What would you say the mission is?

The mission is so that every child can play baseball regardless of their abilities or disabilities.

Right.

So you have the little ones out there, right?

And then you, as they progress to a to a larger role in the organization or let's say they reach their teens, then they have another amazing experience on the horizon.

I noticed in some of the imagery with the youngsters, I'm going to say the toddlers to an extent that have the plastic bats, right?

Yes, we have.

We have the Littles group.

That's from age three to about 12 or 13.

And we have four teams and the littles and they use anything from they very large plastic bats to a couple of them can hit well.

And so we have a few aluminum bats for them.

A ball is not a base, ball is a softball.

So even if they hit really hard, it's still it's not going to hurt.

That will hurt them, Right?

It's not going to hurt us much.

Don, I know that it's not going to hurt them.

Talk about some of the social benefits.

The social benefits.

It's a really great opportunity for the special needs community to come out there at the Miracle League of Pensacola.

They're not the ones that are different.

They're all the same.

There's very there's physical disabilities or mental disabilities, intellectual.

And they're all the same out there.

No one's pointing fingers.

No one's saying, Oh, what are you doing?

No one's whispering behind their back.

And it's is it's like a social club.

Yes.

And when you see them hanging out, well, they're building relationships.

They're on these teams and they're doing something that they've not been able to do in mainstream baseball or other mainstream teams.

And then they're just building friendships outside those teams and they hang out and they call each others names.

It's just so it's a very moving experience.

And they are among friends.

Yes.

So let's talk about the physical benefits.

I can imagine some of the youngsters with that plastic bag thinking I'm Superman.

Oh, yeah.

The littles, which I haven't coach them.

That's coach and getting them involved.

But they've got a lot of energy, a whole lot of energy.

Like she said, we've got the littles and they're like from 3 to 12 we have what we call the middles, which they're from 13 to 17, and then we have the bigs which are adult league and they're 18 until they just keep playing.

And we have some in their late sixties, we've had some in their seventies and the but the physical benefits is that a lot of them may have some physical impairments disabilities and coming out to do Miracle League each week for eight weeks in the fall eight weeks in the spring, it gets them moving and it really helps them to to to keep getting better, to keep that physical.

It's amazing.

So, Dan, we have a little bit of history.

So we we lose our.

Right.

I know.

Is your former professor in the business department at Pensacola State College, but how did you hear about the Miracle League of Pensacola and what made you just jump on board?

Well, actually, it was another one of your students.

Nathan's dad used to be Ricky's retainer, used to be the coach for then it was I think it was the Angels the first year.

And he asked me to come out as a buddy and five years later, I'm coaching the Indians.

So when you say come out as a buddy, describe that.

What is that?

The four, the players each have a buddy to help them out, to help them run, or if they're in a wheelchair to help get the wheelchair around the bases and to field the ball.

So there is an adult buddy with with every player for the entire game.

I really love that, Nathan.

I love your shirt, by the way.

Glad to have you on the show.

So tell me how excited you are to be a part of this organization as a game day, buddy.

Well, it's really exciting to be a buddy, you know, help the kids out.

How many kids would you say you normally help out on game day?

Let's just say one game day.

Well, while I am technically assigned to one, I feel that could have an impact on all the kids.

So we have on the field, and I bet with your win win attitude, you do just that.

I just have a feeling.

Have you ever had any of the youngsters come up to you and say, Hey, Nathan, you really helped me get through this game?

And it was your encouragement that made me shine?

Have you ever heard anything like that?

Oh, well, not yet.

I haven't been doing it that way.

But you know what?

Whether you're just starting out the progression is real.

And I just love your attitude.

I'll come back to you in a little while.

So, Kathleen, back to you.

We know that we have a need for coaches, so let's talk about.

Yes, we do.

As as we become more and more popular, we now have 19 student or 19 players on the Littles teams on each team.

That's that's really a lot.

We play three innings.

We play starting at 9:00 on Saturdays.

It gets hot by the end of that time and we would really like to be able to separate them out a little bit more and have ten players per team.

Well, I must say, Don, with everything going on, all the positivity, I know I have a few goose bumps, but let's talk about psychological benefits sometimes.

And I used to be in the band.

We had a tug of war with that.

But getting on the field, Can I do it?

Can I get up to bat?

I know there are things happening in people's minds, so let's talk about that.

Yeah, the psychological benefits, I mean, it's like a mainstream game there we have the people in the stands that are cheering for them.

That helps out a lot.

That helps with, you know, their confidence in themselves.

It's amazing how they blossom when they have that.

They had the coaches like Coach Dan, I'm a coach also, and we tried to teach them actually how to play baseball, how to stand properly in the batting boxes and teach them how to swing, and we teach them how to throw.

And like I said, you know, you had the buddies there helping them out there.

We're trying to get them to interact with their player and they just they blossom under that debris.

And it really does help with the confidence.

And I was reading on the website regarding your future goals because there's a lot happening.

Right.

Right.

Support for the organization and and eventually you would like to have more locations.

So let's talk about some of those efforts.

What's being done in the realm of support and wishes.

Right.

Right.

The organization they have, we have some events coming up.

We have our goal well know our annual turkey fry is coming up first.

And that is going to be the day before Thanksgiving.

And it's a big thing.

It's very popular here in the community.

You just bring your your turkey 100% defrosted and you have to clean it out and you have to clean out the little packets and inside, yeah, say 100% different also because some people will bring it just still and it's like a safety thing when you throw it in all that hot old oil.

And then we have our golf tournament, which is in March.

We had it originally set for October, but we've moved that to March of next year, March 23rd, and we have that at the Scenic Hills Country Club.

And then we have one other event that is our sports shoot.

Okay.

And then that is going to be in June.

That is amazing.

So when people go to your website, they can find out more information about these things endeavors because we have such an awesome viewing audience and this organization is near and dear to my heart as well.

It's just amazing to hear about all these great things that are on the horizon.

But we share the knowledge, don't we?

Don Absolutely.

So, Dan, how many teams are there, Coach?

Well, in the in the little you said we have four teams right now.

And as Kathleen said, we play three innings.

And my job is to help the staff get everybody where they need to be when they need to be there.

And that's not easy to do with 4 to 10 year old.

So I pitch to them and I try to get the kids to hit.

But if they if they struggle with that, they can hit off the tee.

Lots of different ways to go.

And just it just makes your heart feel good to be out there.

And let me tell you what made my heart feel good when I was going through all the images.

These are some of the names of the teams, folks Tigers, royals, Indians, Marlins, Astros, Cardinals.

My goodness, there are so many.

And I love that because more people are getting involved in that awareness.

And I know that you have such a big heart for this.

Dan.

I do.

I love my team.

I love playing with them.

Now that I'm on you right now, we are going to elaborate a little bit on your education journey because this is important.

You have a little buddy standing next to you, Nathan there.

But we encourage one another, don't we?

So, absolutely.

You graduated from PSC, Pensacola State College, and now you are where I'm at, Liberty University now working on my master's degree.

All right.

And you still find the time in your busy schedule, right, to participate in this amazing organization.

Huge win wins all around.

And with that beautiful smile, Kathleen, I know it's not hard to attract even more volunteers, am I right?

We can use buddies every single game.

We can use new coaches all the time.

We have lots of players that we just had someone sign up last game, so that's amazing.

So walk us through that there at the game.

Maybe a spectator, I would imagine.

And they see what's going on.

Do they visit the website to sign up?

Is that how it?

Well, if you're at the game, you can just go right over to the dugout area and we have forms for them to fill out and we have t shirts that they can wear.

Like the one I love this one.

Yeah.

And then we send them off to the field and they they help the coaches.

The coach will tell them which player needs a buddy now and they are off to the races.

So Kathleen, what is the importance of community people coming together as a It is so lovely.

The a lot of times these buddies and players wouldn't know each other otherwise.

They're in completely different areas.

They come together and suddenly there's this helpful unity and the players love it, the buddies love it.

The parents are grateful because they get to sit back and not have to deal with their child immediately.

They get to watch their child instead.

It's just wonderful.

Well, Nathan, I'm going to crisscross over here, back to you.

Because how would you encourage someone to become part of Miracle League of Pensacola?

What would you say to someone out there who's maybe watching the show right now to encourage them to do what you're doing?

Could you think of a word of encouragement do it for the kids.

Do it for the kids.

I love that.

And, Don, that's what he's doing.

So let's delve into the what's ahead, right?

The road ahead, future goals.

What would you like to see happen?

Future goals We would like as we grow, our numbers are coming back up pre-COVID and we're steadily getting more players in, which is why we need more coaches.

And with that being said, as we get more players, we're going to play more games and there's a possibility that we will need to add another field.

Because when we started out back in 2010, 2002, we started with one field and then eventually a few years later, we put the second field and then we put the third field in.

So eventually we would probably be putting in a fourth field and then we would also our dream is to have it where we have a scholarship fund for every player that comes that regardless, no one has to pay an entry fee that it would be free for everyone.

So Dan, with that said, and I know you have such passion for everything that you do right, I could see you ten years down the road doing amazing things above and beyond.

But give us some words of encouragement because really I want all of our viewing audience participants to know that this organization has a heart for everyone.

So what would you tell a parent that's thinking about having a child join Miracle League?

Pensacola?

You will see something I believe in your child that you didn't know was there.

We are able to work with these kids because they they do for this hour of the day.

They're they're away from their parents and maybe some some rules a little bit.

They get they get the blossoming into go out and try something new.

And I always say in my emails and then post that these kids play with more heart and more desire than any professional athlete you will ever see.

And that is just wonderful to watch.

And I love that.

And Nathan, what is the best thing that you like about Miracle League?

It's that while you have the opportunity, you had the opportunity to play the game.

That's right.

And that's exactly what this organization is doing.

I'm just so delighted that all of you decided to appear on the show.

Appreciate you so much.

All right, folks, stay with us.

We have another great nonprofit organization coming your way.

We'll be back in a moment.

Hello, everyone.

During this segment, we are shifting gears as we focus on another nonprofit organization, the Pensacola Omega Lamplighter.

It's a pleasure to welcome Brian Freeman, executive director.

And in a spirit of brotherhood and collaboration, it's a joy to welcome Courtney Clanton, president of 100 Black Men of Pensacola.

We also have Donte Sheppard, a community liaison and youth mentor.

Welcome to all of you.

Thank you.

So, as my dad would say, looking cleaner than the board of health.

Gentlemen, glad to have all of you right now, Brian, let's talk about the mission of the Pensacola Omega Lamplighter as well.

We set out to empower and inspire young men in our community to be able to realize their best version of themselves.

We like to say that we like to take young men from good to great.

And that's just something we pride ourselves with doing, with just our mentoring and our support of the young men.

And how long has this chapter been in existence?

This is our eighth year.

We're coming up on eight years in Pensacola.

I love that we have a lot to talk about.

So, Courtney, let's step into your world, president of 100 Black Men of Pensacola.

So collaboration, right?

How did you come to know Brian, and what was that connection?

Well, Brian and I, we are fraternity brothers.

And so there was an opportunity to bridge a gap.

And I took over as president of the once black man.

It has been in existence here in Pensacola since 1990.

And so we just took this organization, partnered with the Omega lap lighters, and we saw a need in our community.

And our motto is what they see, what they'll be.

And so we took that and we found a wholesome young man and we reached out to other young men to empower them.

What they'll see is what will be.

And I always look at it as every young man needs a successor.

And so I don't want to leave this earth with without my fingerprints being on something.

I want to lead this community and part and myself into another young person so they can take the torch and run with it.

Quite interesting.

So how young can a man be?

Or should we say young man or little guy?

Is there an age limit as far as membership is concerned right now?

We currently are mentoring at Bellevue Middle Schools.

Our host chapter and most of our grade levels is 6 to 12.

Okay.

And so we have a combination.

We only have maybe, you know, maybe a few elementary students.

But right now, I think that the age of middle school and high school is the age that you can mold them into responsibilities and understanding what, you know, decision making process is.

I believe that at that age is is really important in their stage of life.

Now, I have to let our viewing audience know and all humility.

Courtney, you have held Pensacola State College quite a bit back in 2020 with our African-American Memorial Endowed Scholarship Bank with that to guarantee Wiggins live your dream.

You actually helped us out quite a bit.

So you've been an outstanding presence and you believe in the power of a nonprofit organization and also scholarship as well.

So I just wanted to give you a little pat on the back, but kudos to the organization Now, Donte.

So you have these two men over here, right?

Great job.

And I know that they're friends.

So how do you all fit into the scheme of things?

So Dante, talk about your role, how you first met them.

Well, you know, I think the one thing that attracted me to Courtney and Brian was the fact that they wanted to empower young men growing up as a young man without a father.

I've always been attracted to other men who cared about young men who not only wanted to be there for them, but wanted to, like Courtney, say, I put a fingerprint on them, wanted to share information, I wanted to share resources.

So in meeting Brian a couple of years back, I was able to just learn from him.

When it came to the lamp virus, I was interested in mentorship and I wanted to know how he was able to build this organization.

I didn't grow up as a Omega or in a fraternity, anything, so sometimes you feel like remember that you can't connect with someone because you're not a part of that fraternity or that society.

And and Brian just he just he encouraged me to come get to know him.

And he shared so much information with me.

And then when it comes to Courtney, met Courtney actually were church members and and we've always seemed to talk about enlightening other individuals.

And so not only would he share wisdom with me and knowledge with me, I would share with him.

And when he became the president of the 100 black men, it was a no brainer.

Me I mean, it was absolutely no brainer for me because what I saw was that it didn't matter who you were or what organization you were a part of or maker, you can be a 100 black men one.

Because there's one thing in common with us.

We're all black men, right?

And so and then when he explained the mission and how we believe that what they would be is what they see.

And so I want to be one of those individuals that young men see with me, and I love that.

T So back to you, Brian.

And we have some exceptional images.

Elaborate on some of the specific services.

I love the fact that you provide college and career training.

Can you highlight that a little bit?

And I know we have others.

Yes.

So for our young men, the most important thing they can leave us with is a good sense of what's next.

And we really try to instill in them more than just a diploma in their hand.

That's only the beginning.

So we really talk to them about college through exposure.

We take them on college tours each year.

We walk them through the process of applying to college, how to receive financial aid, even some tips of college readiness through AP classes.

We encourage our seniors to take advanced placement classes so that they're in a position to be ready and on par with their peers when they go off to college.

But we also expose them to careers.

We give them an opportunity to understand what it takes to be a doctor, what it takes to be a lawyer, what it takes to own your own restaurant, or even own your own barbershop.

With those skills in place when they leave us, they're in a position to compete, and that's something that sometimes young black men don't have in front of them when they graduate.

So I think through our workshops and through our intentional process of just giving them the tools they need, they're certainly able to go to college or to a career because as we know, it's everyone doesn't go to college.

So we even talk about military and other opportunities that you have with getting a trade outside of just college and career.

Just again, the information is something that we try to impart on them.

I also like the emphasis on cultural education.

If I were to visit another country, I would definitely want to do my homework.

Now that is a key aspect in and as I was going through all of these images, I saw lots of groups.

I saw camp meetings.

Yeah, you are really, I'm going to say, on the right track when it comes to the importance of togetherness, we must never assume, correct?

Absolutely.

And it's important for us to just allow our boys to live outside of their comfort zone.

Some of our boys have never been camping until they went camping with us on our trip, and Courtney actually had an opportunity to go with us.

And it was a life changing experience to see ten year old boys who had never been camping, just being able to experience that with mentors and with their families.

And I will say tents nowadays look a whole lot better when I was a girl, but they're still hard to put together.

I just I'm sure they are.

So, Courtney, let's step back into your world because there are so many ways we can give back.

I know I've mentioned a few areas that your organization has really just gone above and beyond the call of duty, but give us an overview from that perspective of what these young men are doing.

Oh, one of the most important things as a young man born and raised in this community, being raised by my grandpa parents and my grandfather is a retired law enforcement officer as well.

I followed in his footsteps and became the same.

And what I saw is what I became.

And so when I got into this organization, what blossomed me and attracted me to the youth was when I became a school resource officer.

And I knew that what was missing could not be taught during school hours.

And so I said, Well, you know, what part of an organization can I be a part of that can teach the things that my teachers could not teach?

And some of those things it takes a village 8 hours a day in a school.

They can get some of the things about, you know, manhood, common sense respect as well.

Public speaking.

Yes, courtesy etiquette, table etiquette, you know, a dress people, you know, dress how you want to be addressed, being able to be ambidextrous.

A lot of those things is the community's job and or church to fill in those areas where the young man or young lady have Ms.. And so we we model the wonder black men of America who gives us our curriculum in which we teach public speaking communication, financial literacy and health initiatives.

And we take those and we instill them and break them into curriculum.

But Dante, he is also the one black man curriculum coordinator.

Could you just share and some of the things that you all teach to the to do for?

One of the things that we really emphasized on was developing a understanding of who you are.

I think that a lot of times our young men don't even don't really realize their personality traits.

And so even in our training, we start off focusing on identifying traits within yourself and then identify how those traits can be communicated to others so they know how to interact with you and how you can communicate.

And so that was one of our sessions just this year with our young men at Bellevue, and I thought it was one of the most incredible things we're making, because when young men started noticing that others were like them that were in the room, even the adults, they felt a lot more comfortable with interacting with us.

And you were able to just kind of take down that wall that was in front of us.

And so we try to utilize basic things like that to give them a better sense of who they are.

And once they know who they are, they begin to have more confidence on who they can become and what they can accomplish in life.

For me, one thing that I really like STEM programs science, technology, engineering, mathematics.

When my dad joined the Navy back in the day, he always loved math.

But during that time, Jim Crow segregation, a lot of the guys were porters and some were chefs.

But he actually was one of the first African-American males to enter nuclear power school and pass.

There are people out there that think they can't do it, right?

Yes.

Yes.

So it sort of reminds me a little bit of his story, what you all are doing, planting a seed of positivity.

Yes.

Is so crucial, Brian.

So we saw a lot happening with the images that you provide.

And now I'm a huge basketball fan.

You have youth basketball.

You mentioned the camp.

You've also helped with Relay for Life Light Up Day, The list goes on and on.

Why don't you talk about a few of those?

Absolutely.

So service is really our priority that we try to instill in our young men because we believe if they have a sense of community, they'll feel more likely to stay connected to their community when they graduate and become leaders in their community.

So we certainly try to expose them to many different service projects.

Juneteenth is one of our proudest activities.

We normally celebrate that with our young men to allow them to see culturally what the African-American experience could be and what it looks like at its highest point.

They also perform during that event as well.

They love stepping our boys.

It just builds their self-confidence when they're able to be on stage.

Well, speaking of stepping, they actually performed at the inaugural Pensacola State College International Festival, and they were sensational.

That was just a pause, but continue on.

Yes.

So it's just again, that but pair that with the ability of being able to be in breast cancer was to be able to sympathize with survivors, many of their grandparents moms and aren't so survivors.

So they feel a sense of connection, but also being able to participate in Relay for Life so that they can understand the calls behind the activity.

And again, it builds a sense of self efficacy when our young men are able to serve and they're able to see that it's bigger than just my own personal experiences.

There are people who I could fight for and that gives them a reason to fight.

Oh, yes.

So, Courtney, some initiatives within the organization, Respect for family, spirituality, justice, integrity, just reading those things just made me feel great inside.

Can you talk a little bit about those things?

One of those things that I think that unites the community and self initiative is your faith.

You have to believe in something no matter what it is.

And one of the things that when we when we have our mentor selections, we bring on like minded men into the organization who have that zeal and that drive and who want to pass the baton.

And we also in our organization, we have pastors, our most recent past that join Pastor Brandon Mason of Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church on Linda Street.

He is a member and we soliciting to other members and we have praise and worship leaders on it.

We have law enforcement officers that are members.

We have state probation officers, sex offenders officers.

And we we take all these career people and we put them in there.

And we're able to we're able to give the kids all of the things that you just can't get in one setting.

And so each setting, we may have a state probation officer talk about consent.

At what age to consent.

Start with.

You have to just because you're in high school with a same student, that's an issue.

If something goes wrong, they need to know that you know the do's and don'ts because it starts at 16 up to the age of 18.

Well, you have 18 year olds as well.

I think I like a freshman.

No, no, no.

You came while giving him those tools to say, hey, listen, you can't do these things and it decreases our suspension rate, it decreases our expulsion rate.

And so it feels the kids a sense of power of holding each other accountable.

Oh, I like that.

So, Dante.

Yes, ma'am.

Student Community Institute.

Yeah, let's talk about that.

Sure.

You know, as you know, not only am I involved in a community where I'm part of a larger black man, I'm I have an opportunity to speak to many organized nations as a public speaker.

I've done that with the lamp leaders as well as local middle schools.

But I serve as the program manager at the Student Community Institute, which is a nonprofit here right in Pensacola, where I focus on early brain development, where MCA, where we want to empower parents with the right information, not later, because right now we're catching young people later in life and we're trying to rewire them and retool them so that they could be successful.

But most people don't know that this stuff starts right when they're in the womb, where you can start building your baby.

When they're in your womb, you can start building them at one and two and three years old.

And if you do that, you create a foundation.

So what I focus on is informing parents what the right information we have them watch a video that teaches them on the importance of early brain development.

85% of a child's brain is develop at the ages of 0 to 3 years old, and then we equip them with resources, no matter what organization they're part of, are where they're getting that resource that we want to equip them at hospitals.

We give them what's called a brain bag and then we make sure that we support them with make.

And that means throughout life.

And so we provide text messages that I help them as well.

That is so crucial.

Dante So, Brian, we are going to let you have the last word.

And basically we've learned quite a bit.

I know I saw some images of a pageant and the ladies were beautiful.

So that is yet another endeavor, right?

Yes.

So explore.

Yes.

So we have started to look at the idea of supporting young ladies.

We know that they certainly have a need for character.

We know they have a need to be able to have sisterhood.

And we know they also want to serve.

So our pageant allows us to be able to support young ladies with the same mission that we have for our young men, where we're able to instill character, but we're also able to allow them to serve as sisters as well, but then also to be able to understand what it takes to get to college or to their careers as well.

Same mission, but being able to also pour into young ladies, which, you know, I Brian, I think that Courtney wants to share a moment or two.

So in your mindset, Courtney, just think of an encouraging word that you would have for someone who is just considering jumping on board with your organization or any other nonprofit.

I would say this to any mentor who would like to join or mentor to a mentor.

Don't leave Earth and not pass the torch.

Do not leave and not pass the torch.

All of us are mentors and our very own unique ways.

But being able to see the vision come to life from the words of your mouth and the labor that you have given in this community, pass the torch.

Well said gentleman.

It has been an extreme pleasure.

All right, folks, I would like to thank all of our guests for joining us.

I'm Rameca Vincent Leary.

And remember to keep it locked in right here on WSRE PBS for the Gulf Coast.