MentoringBrothers.org And Stand Up Men To Host Father's Day Webcast

PHILADELPHIA, June 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MentoringBrothers.org, and Stand Up Men will host a unique national Father's Day web forum, Black Men, Fathers and Mentors.  The one hour webcast gets underway at 8 p.m. (EDT) June 17.   

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120614/PH25014LOGO)

Stand Up Men rallies individuals together who share a passion and desire to work on one accord to address racial disparities, promote education and advocate for health and community development. MentoringBrothers.org, powered by Big Brothers Big Sisters and its national Black fraternity partners – Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi -- launched in January to provide stories, information and resources to engage more African American men in the mentoring movement.   

"Stand Up Men was created to celebrate, recognize and re-energize the value and importance of all men, especially minority men. Great men which ultimately become great Fathers are an essential tool in any young person's life. This fact and must be cheered and advocated for. Not only for the men and Father's that are already standing, but to develop the idea of a respectable character driven man as a valuable asset in our culture. One that every young boy wishes to become, and every young girl wishes to have in her life. Our Father's Day webcast is an opportunity to do what is not popular but necessary, allowing everyone to celebrate and share their experiences as well as dwelling in the environment of positive men and women who support great fathers, especially ones who are passionate serving their communities," said Lex Kelly-Meade, Founder of Stand Up Men Inc.

African American children are the largest group of youth served by Big Brothers Big Sisters (40 percent) but only 15 percent of the national mentoring network's volunteers are African American.  Among children waiting to be matched with mentors, African American boys are represented disproportionately larger than other youth. 

"We learned during our 2012 Mentoring Brothers in Action summit that African American men want to have national conversations that enable us to empower and educate one another so that we lead efforts to address disparities that exist when it comes to providing much needed services to boys in our communities," said Lowell Perry, Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters African American Advisory Council and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.  "As we provide the technology to facilitate these discussions, we will also be able to accomplish our goal of engaging more Black men in mentoring."

Black Men, Fathers and Mentors guests include:

Lowell Perry, Jr., CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee

L'Mani S. Viney, Chairman National Guideright Commission, Kappa Alpha Psi

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success; avoidance of risky behaviors; and higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships.  Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children ("Littles") with screened volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course.  The first-ever Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Summary, released in 2012, substantiates that its mentoring programs have proven, positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth, areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness.

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, often those of single or low-income households or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military, with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.  This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization's 100-year history.  With about 350 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 630,000 children, volunteers and families. Learn how you can positively impact a child's life, donate or volunteer at MentoringBrothers.org.

About Stand Up Men Inc.

Stand Up Men (S.U.M) is a 501-C non-profit organization comprised of the support of individuals, groups, and businesses that share a unified vision of providing support for individuals and organizations that work in mentorship, personal development and community service and betterment.

Our goal is to provide a breeding ground of community servers and activists, while allowing organization to announce and promote their efforts by freely posting and promoting events and request on our community connection feed. This allows for eager S.U.M members, sponsors and affiliates to view, select, contribute and/or participate.

We also express a strong need for reward and enrichment to people who dedicate time and open their heart to causes larger than themselves. Here at S.U.M we believe that opportunity and reward should be given to those who are passionate about giving reward and opportunity to others. We offer workshops and seminars geared toward receiving information and tools for success to those who take time away from themselves to give to someone else. We also believe that the parents of mentees must have opportunities to develop growth and life enhancement skills. Our workshops will be hosted by the S.U.M organization and taught by affiliate companies and organizations that are passionate about helping those who need it and providing our mentors, parents and individuals involved with philanthropic organizations with the best opportunity to grow and flourish for his/her efforts. If you would like to Stand Up and become a S.U.M member, partner, affiliate, or donate to the Stand Up Men Organization, visit us at www.standupmen.org.   

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters