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Randolph Keaton, Executive Director Men and Women United for Youth and Families, addressed the Elizabethtown Rotary Club last week. He was joined by members of the Youth Ambassadors and Men and Women United for Youth and Families board member Althea Lesane.
Keaton told the group that he grew up in the Columbus County town of Delco where he worked on the family farm. He said he graduated high school and attended college. Keaton said when he graduated from college one of the jobs he held was working with the residents of the former Jervay housing project in Wilmington.
Keaton said while working in New Hanover County he noticed there was an abundance of resources for the residents to access depending on their needs. Keaton said when he decided to return home he found out that wasn’t the case there.
Keaton said East Arcadia and Delco are located a good distanced from Elizabethtown and it is difficult to connect to such things as recreation programs. So he decided to create a program to help connect those residents to the programs and agencies they needed.
He said he started Men and Women United for Youth and Families as an educational non-profit. It now offers classes, is home to the Tri-County Job Center, and offers three scholarships to students at North Brunswick, East Columbus and East Bladen high schools, to name a few fo the things offer. Scholarship applications will be handed out at the schools in January.
Keaton said the goal of the agency is to try to connect people to the resources they need whether it is job training, help finding a job or learning new job skills.
He acknowledged several Youth Ambassadors that also attend the meeting with him. They were Alyssa Delts, Chance Snowden, Phillip Snowden, Kysheen Lewis and Dontrell Stevenson.
Keaton also said there will be a golf tournament fundraiser in May 2017. More information will be forthcoming regarding the golf tournament.
Keaton said challenges still remain.
“I am really appreciative of what is going on now, but we need to do more,” said Keaton.
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