The elephant men
The Elephant Men program is the creation of Regionald Caster and Robert Harris,two friends who grew up together in a poor neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee. They grew up,moved away,and became successful. They remained friends and shared a goal. The goal was to help boys ages 9 to 13 in their old neighborhood. They wanted to act as role models, or good examples,for young boys and to stop them from getting into trouble as they got older.
They called their program The Elephant Men after reading how elephant families in Africa surround and protect their young when they are in danger. Reginald and Robert's program supports the young men inner cities who are at risk of losing their lives to drugs and crime.Their slogan is,"Protecting our youth with the strength and conviction of the elephant."
They look for different ways for the young men to build respect for themselves and others. One way is to use sports, especially basketball,to bring the boys together. Another successful project is a four-year summer work program that includes more than 100 young boys.The boys pick up
litter across the city in exchange for a $200 gift certificate to purchase clothes for school.To be part of the program,the boys have to get a reference letter from an adult at their school who is write something positive about them. This gives the boys a reason to do well in school.
"We know our program works,"says Regional."We have some kids in college now,and the best day of the year for us is the weekend before school starts,when we see our boys in the malls buying their clothes and books for school.