A Lansing mentoring program born from mothers' grief over gun violence has secured a $900,000 federal grant to expand its reach across more schools in the community.
- Program Origins: The United Mentoring Program was created by grieving mothers after their children were killed by gunfire, now serving students in four Lansing schools.
- Federal Funding: A $900,000 federal grant will help the program expand by hiring more mentor specialists and launching after-school and summer programs.
- Community Impact: The program focuses on life skills, career development and academic support, with leaders believing it helps reduce crime by giving every child a chance.
The United Mentoring Program emerged from the pain of parents who lost children to gunfire, according to Executive Director Tracy Edmond. What started as a response to tragedy has grown into a comprehensive support system now serving students in four Lansing schools.
WATCH: MENTORING PROGRAM GET $900K GRANT TO EXPAND SERVICES ACROSS MID-MICHIGAN
"The united mentoring program was birthed out of the cry of mothers who were just grieving over their children-girls and boys-who were hurt gun fire," Edmond said.
The program has embedded itself directly into school operations, with dedicated classrooms in each participating school. Director Karry Smith explained the integrated approach allows mentors to work seamlessly with existing staff.
"Each school that we are in, we have our own classroom so we are woven right into what they do on a daily basis," Smith said.
The United Mentoring Program focuses on three core areas: life skills development, career preparation and academic support. Staff work with students, teachers and counselors to meet children where they are in their educational journey.
Since launching four years ago, demand for the program's services has continued growing, Smith noted. The substantial federal grant will enable significant expansion of current efforts.
"These dollars help us to develop a further reach to hire mentor specialists," Edmond said.
The funding, supported by Congressman Tom Barrett, will support new programming beyond the school day. Smith announced plans to launch after-school and summer programs in the coming months.
"This spring going into the summer we are going to unleash our after-school program as well as our summer program," Smith said.
Program leaders believe their work creates measurable community impact by addressing root causes of youth violence. Edmond emphasized the program's role in crime prevention through positive youth development.
"Well, I believe that our program has powerful impact from the standpoint of driving down crime," Edmond said. "Our program gives every child a chance."
The expansion represents a significant milestone for an organization that transformed community grief into actionable change, working to ensure fewer families experience the loss that originally inspired its creation.
For more information about United Mentoring Program and how to get involved, please visit them here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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