Local Mentoring Program Helps Girls See Their True Worth
Lancaster Promise Neighborhood has a mission to bring love, healing and inspiration to its target zone – children and parents in six square miles of the most impoverished area in the Palmetto State.
To accomplish their goals, they use a wrap-around approach to create a supportive village by partnering with mentoring agencies.
Call Me Beauty has embraced the opportunity to spread an empowering message of self-love to young girls between the ages of five and 18. Beauty stands for Beauty, Educated, Aspiring, Unique, Talented, Youth.
Founder Charquisha McGriff said, “We want to always remind them of these things.”
McGriff, the granddaughter of County Council member Charlene McGriff, learned the importance of community service at an early age. She recalls tagging along with her grandmother to community-building events as a little girl.
Her desire to serve came after a toxic relationship left her doubting herself.
“I lost myself for a while – my self-love, self-worth, self-esteem,” she said. “I went into a deep depression but teaching this course helped lift me up.”
As she recovered from several hard experiences that left her as a single mom with two little children, she earned her master’s degree in health education and promotion from Walden University. McGriff is the sexual assault team coordinator at Palmetto Citizens Against Sexual Assault.
“We provide the girls with resources as we talk about real-life things so when it happens, they don’t experience it alone and will have skills to deal with it,” she said.
McGriff established the nonprofit in 2015 to offer the message in school, in the community and through one-on-one sessions.
Community Outreach
On Saturdays once a month, the community group meets at the Lancaster Promise Neighborhood office at 121 S. Wylie St. Young girls and women gather to talk honestly about life situations. They use the book “Ultimate Self-Love Workbook for Teen Girls” by Dr. Tabatha Chansard. The book helps build confidence, release self-doubt as the girls embrace their unique beauty.
Any girl in the county between the ages of 5-18 can join the free monthly community group which begins in January and August. Registration information can be found on the Call Me Beauty Facebook page or at www.callmebeautymentoring.com.
A recent session at the Promise Neighborhood office revealed the transformative power of listening and validation. The women and girls sat in a circle and talked about real life – rejection of not making the cheerleading team, how to set boundaries and say no to anything that does not honor one’s authentic self.
In a previous session, the girls were given a small folding mirror. They look at their image and say self-affirmations whenever a situation calls for a dose of self-worth.
Former Promise Neighborhood Director Sh’Kur Francis addressed the need and power of positive role models in the community for the youth. Their motivation, presence and examples transform the younger generation.
“We know we need to do more than just educate. We have to build positive attitudes and responses in our children,” he said. “Call Me Beauty’s foundation on self-love, self-esteem and self-worth are the core values of Promise Neighborhood.”
Mentors
The mentors are women over 18 years of age who have passed a backgournd check. Tiesha Shannon and Kezaria Tinsley completed the course as mentees and are now mentors who teach the course at A.R. Rucker.
Tinsley said Call Me Beauty gave her a safe place to talk about things that aren’t always easy to talk about and it made a big difference in her life. She wanted to give back to the program and pay it forward by offering a safe place to the next generation.
One mentor at the community group, Yokima Cureton, shares why she volunteers her time.
“I’m here because I know that these young ladies can benefit from having good examples in our community,” she said. “I want to understand what they are walking through. I want to understand them, undergird them and offer some understanding and guidance and help them navigate in ways that are helpful.”
A parent left a review on Facebook expressing gratitude and noting the success of Call Me Beauty. She said sometimes teenagers can be reached more effectively by someone other than a parent.
One-on-one mentoring is available upon request. This partnering of an adult woman with a young girl offers an on-going relationship with a trusted mentor.
In the classroom
Sixth – eighth grade girls at A.R. Rucker Middle School receive the message in a course – 101 Call Me Beauty, with a curriculum called “Girl Power.”
The A.R. Rucker course addresses adolescent challenges including rejection, boundaries, insecurities, relationships and communication.
Dr. Michelle Crosby, principal, said the course has helped the girls become accountable for their grades, behavior, and attendance. She said the role playing which involves real-life scenarios has led to more effective problem solving.
“They make better choices as they work to be productive school citizens,” she said.
Promise Neighborhood
Lancaster Promise Neighborhood is a federally funded five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education. It is the first Promise Neighborhood program to be funded by the USDOE in South Carolina. Its mission is to “do whatever it takes with the community to ensure every child who lives in the zone has the chance for success.”
The zone is 6.2 square miles of focus and is comprised of the poorest neighborhoods in all of South Carolina. The Lancaster Promise Neighborhood is strategically focused to support Clinton Elementary, A.R. Rucker Middle and Lancaster High School’s parents and students.
For more information:
http://www.callmebeautymentoring.com
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