Nearly 1 in 10 men experience depression or anxiety, but less than half seek treatment. In 2020, men died by suicide 3.88x more than women. Though men experience a higher rate of suicide, they are less likely to seek help and more prone to suffering in silence. This ratio can be seen higher among men of diverse colors, like African-American men. Suicide rates among youth and teens are higher than ever, and for ages 10-24, itβs the second leading cause of death. For Black youth, suicide rates are increasing faster than for other racial groups. The data showed that an urgent intervention is needed to curb this menace among youth of color, with approximately 34.1 percent of Black High School respondents to the 2019 YRBS reporting feeling sad or hopeless. These children should not be in these situations. Youth is a time to explore and find out who and what you want to become and should be filled with the free will to experience the beauty of life. We canβt stress enough how much change needs to happen in these communities to make a better world. The better we all are, the better the world can be and we truly believe that.
Our goal is to help young minority men unlock the next level in their lives. Whether in their future career or personal endeavors. The GROOMING ALCHEMIST created this mental health initiative for young men of color to ensure that no one ever has to suffer alone, no matter how much their life is changing and how much they've transformed themselves. This mental health initiative means helping kids suffering from socioeconomic challenges get the help they needβand helping them get more tools and resources. We are a mental health foundation focused on improving childhood hygiene, self-care and resilience as well as stemming the tide of homelessness among 300,000 under served middle and high school youths in New York City. To create a community where young minority men could seek inspiration. We do this by recreating a community barbershop atmosphere with complimentary haircuts, products, supplies and mentor-ship for the youth.Β
Here are some deeply troubled facts. In district 9, there are 1,723 shelter units and 48 family shelters. A lot of our wonderful students live in them. 1 out of 4 students experienced homelessness in the last 5 years. District 9 ranks #1 in highest percent of homeless students. They also rank 1 out of 32 school districts in this category. 1 out of 3 elementary students experienced homelessness by the 5th grade. 1 out of 4 pre K students experienced homelessness in the last 6 years. African-Americans made up 35% of all children raised in the bottom 1% of the income distribution. African American children also made up less than 1% of the children at the very top & 80% of all special students are Hispanic and Black males. The numbers are scary and some of the living situations are even scarier. Even getting to school is a challenge for so many of these students. We get very emotional with this topic because all of them deserve a stress free education. A life where they can focus on the things that matter and not if theyβre going to be on the street the next day or if they will be getting food. We choose to stand up in these communities and make a difference and it doesnβt matter how big or small we know how much this can mean to even one family and we will continue to do it for as many as we possibly can.
So where does THE GROOMING ALCHEMIST come in? How do we go about making a noticeable impact? Well we go into schools and set up barbershops and mentorship. We have partnered with I.S. 219 and childrenβs aid to support facilitating in school visits that include financial literacy and crypto currency/tokenonomics along with professional haircuts and personal care/grooming products. We have launched a Pilot Program in 2021 and had positive feedback from the principals and staff. Our impact had been amazing for these children. 40% Aspire to become entrepreneurs, artists and freelancers. 90% are interested in personal wellness and having a self care routine.
Our mission is to promote and instill healthy investing habits and provide the children with free journaling books to write down and go over their goals and keep track of their daily thoughts and routines and give them a healthy break from their phones. Weβll be giving each child individual check ins, sound healing sessions, haircuts, supplies and mentorship when needed. We strive to prevent thousands of students from needing NYC homeless shelters, food kitchens, welfare and keep them away from the prison system in the near future.
We are not alone in this fight either. We consistently bring in financial experts, entrepreneurs and artists of all kinds to give the children a real one on one dive into their careers and provide exciting knowledge to help them believe they can do it all and are not destined to become a cog in the system. Our friends in various industries bring gifts for the children along with so much nurturing information to make them feel welcome, accepted, appreciated and loved. We can never fully know what goes on at the shelters or homes of these kids so we make sure we come in with the warmest of attitudes and optimism. We encourage them to ask all the questions imaginable because we donβt want to leave a rock unturned and never want them to feel less than.Β
Join us as we create a safe space for the underprivileged and usher in a new future and new possibilities for all kids alike. The grooming alchemist and ARTISAN will keep striving to make a change. We know we canβt solve all the problems in the world but starting somewhere that can make immediate impact is what we wanted to do and we are successfully making that happen. We hope you can support us on this journey. See you soon :)