THE JARVIS GIBSON FOUNDATION
The Jarvis Gibson Foundation wants to spread our message of hope and compassion. Founded in Cleveland Ohio, We believe that a single action can make a difference in the community, and that collective action can greatly impact the world. Through advocacy and outreach activities, our team works tirelessly each day to contribute their part to the greater good.
Signature programming that fall under the umbrella of the Jarvis Gibson Foundation are the following:
Go to High School Go To College/Honorable Men of Tomorrow
Adopt a First Grader
THE JARVIS GIBSON FOUNDATION AT A GLANCE
Each are mentoring programs that honor the Vision, Mission, and Purpose of the foundation:
VISION: The vision of The Jarvis Gibson Foundation is to produce educated, responsible, socially, emotionally, financially independent, and culturally sensitive men who will become tomorrow’s leaders.
MISSION: Cultivating and empowering today’s male youth with the tools necessary for a more desirable tomorrow.
PURPOSE: The Jarvis Gibson Foundation is developed for the sole purpose of providing educational opportunities for underserved youth who lack the social, emotional, and financial support needed to achieve future success.
While addressing education as being the foundation of building success, many youth experience barriers of which are out of their control. The Jarvis Gibson Foundation have developed objectives to address these social determinants to assist in removing barriers such as lack of education around mental health, awareness of opportunities to educate on preparation for after high school (college and trade programs), financial literacy, sex education, substance abuse, and economic development just to name a few.
Additionally, The Jarvis Gibson Foundation serves as an advocate for not only the youth but for their parents and/or guardians. Youth need an environment that is emotionally, socially, safe, and financially stable enough to support their needs in their journey to adulthood. A social determinant that continues to impact the success of youth is poverty and homelessness. According to the Center for Community Solutions, 36.2% of the population of Cleveland lives in poverty and 18.2 are in abject poverty (household income less than 50% of the poverty rate). Furthermore, the number of Clevelanders living on income at 200% of the official poverty line is estimated at 61.3%. And Cleveland Child poverty rate is at 53.5%. There were over 11,000 evictions in the Cleveland Housing Court and a percentage of those fall into homelessness every year.
The Jarvis Gibson Foundation has positioned the organization to collaborate with those in housing to offer solutions impacting four families per year by connecting to affordable and safe housing (single family properties built within 2 decades, equipped with all appliances), and connect to programs to sustain housing, provide financial literacy, connect to programs to become viable candidates for future employment opportunities, and eventually resulting in home ownership.
Lastly in the wake of current conditions such as the Covid-19 Pandemic, this has prompted the Jarvis Gibson Foundation to offer short term solutions and offer support efforts for those during crisis. While protecting the safety of the mentees who participate in the programs, a requirement is to participate in community service efforts such as donation drives and fundraising initiatives to support those less fortunate than themselves. Also, it is the obligation of the Foundation to support shelters, healthcare organizations, and public health services by offering donations for the purpose of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and supplies, toiletries, food, and other alternatives to address homeless shelter shortages.