A New Way Forward
Healing What's Hurting Black America
The National CARES Mentoring Movement is devoted to closing the huge gap between the relatively few Black mentors and the millions of vulnerable Black children on the waiting lists of mentoring and youth-support organizations. As of this writing, we have a presence in 57 U.S. cities. National CARES is not a mentoring organization in and of itself; we are a movement that seeks to recruit and connect Black volunteers with their local youth-serving programs.
To that end, we have created A New Way Forward, an innovative mentor recruitment initiative designed to create an ocean of gravely needed mentors who are practicing principles of wellness in body, mind, spirit and community, and who are devoted to seeding a consciousness of selflove and high achievement in the minds and hearts of the children they mentor. A project of National CARES, A New Way Forward will provide volunteers with the information and training needed to serve Black children and other under-resourced youngsters at the highest levels.
This effort has been made possible by the generosity of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Fannie Mae, Inc., and the indispensable time, talent and treasure of the people who make up our Braintrust.
Detroit CARES provides training for mentors and mentees in the principles of A New Way Forward. It includes these ten areas:
- Heritage
- Spirituality
- Stress
- Wellness
- Prosperity
- Relationships
- Creativity
- Media Watch
- Community
- Mentoring
For further information about ANWF contact Detroit CARES.
The CARES Movement was blessed to have Dr. Maya Angelou as a guiding Mentor to us all. Dr. Angelou created the CARES Pledge which is fundamental to our mission.
A Pledge to Rescue Our Youth
By Dr. Maya Angelou
Young women, young men of color, we add our voices to the voices
of your ancestors who speak to you over
ancient seas and across impossible mountaintops.
Come up from the gloom of national neglect;
you have already been paid for.
Come out of the shadow of irrational prejudice;
you owe no racial debt to history.
The blood of our bodies and the prayers of our souls
have bought you a future free from shame and
bright beyond the telling of it.
We pledge ourselves and our resources to seek for you
clean and well-furnished schools, safe and
non-threatening streets, employment which makes use
of your talents, but does not degrade your dignity.
You are the best we have.
You are all we have.
You are what we have become.
We pledge you our whole hearts from this day forward.