Empowering Youth to Lead.

For over 30 years our mission has been to help youth develop character, competence, and commitment for personal and community improvement.

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What Makes Us Different

First Serve hires, equips, and trains outstanding high school students to mentor children in their own community. Through hundreds of hours of positive interaction each year, mentors and mentees build self esteem, life skills, leadership skills, and long-lasting connections that enrich their lives.

What Makes Us Different

First Serve hires, equips, and trains outstanding high school students to mentor children in their own community. Through hundreds of hours of positive interaction each year, mentors and mentees build self esteem, life skills, leadership skills, and long-lasting connections that enrich their lives.

1

We invest in people, not properties

Not one cent of our budget is spent on administrative offices, so more dollars go directly to the households of our teen mentors.

2

We Empower Our Mentors

Through regular paychecks or by funding special youth programs. Our goal is to teach mentors to lead themselves and focus on taking advantage of meaningful opportunities available to them through First Serve.

3

We work with established programs

Rather than starting from the very beginning, we partner with organizations that are already ingrained in the everyday lives of our communities.

4

We truly believe in the individual

We work hard to make the experience specific to each child and each mentor, and meet everyone’s unique needs.

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Our Impact

95%

vocational training, college education or employment

0%

of budget
spent on administrative offices

$1M+

into the households of teen mentors

500

hours of positive engagement each year

1000s

of children with caring role models

A better way to make an impact

By sponsoring our students, you’re helping them build skills that prepare them for the future and allow them to make a measurable difference in their communities.

Healthy communities start at an individual level.

By engaging, educating, and empowering youth in their most formative years,
lasting, sustainable change in neighborhoods is possible.

First Serve gave me more than just a paycheck. It gave me a safe space where I could be myself, where I felt supported and understood. It surrounded me with a strong and caring community that helped me navigate not only my professional growth but also my personal healing. This program has played a tremendous role in shaping the person I am today, and I am deeply grateful for every individual who has been part of that journey.

Albert D.

If someone was in the same place I was when I started, maybe unsure of themselves, needing a little direction, or just looking for people who care, I would definitely recommend First Serve. It's not just about mentoring and learning. It's about becoming the best version of yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed.

Janell C.

[This] program has reinforced the importance of compassion, and determination. I'm thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of such a transformative program, and] I'm committed to applying everything I've learned to the next chapter of my life.” “I want the next generation to realize their full potential, to never let anything stop them, to always keep a positive, proactive head on their shoulders no matter what the challenge...

Janessa R.

First Serve was a magnifying glass for me... [In the program] we'd be asked questions which made us look beyond how we portray ourselves on the outside, diving into the inner emotions that most people would hold back from speaking of, because they don't feel heard or seen.

Leslie D.

[Through First Serve] I gained invaluable insights into the intricacies of working with children. I learned to understand their wants and needs, providing not only care but also guidance and education... working with children is far from a simple task; it requires patience, empathy, and the ability to think on my feet... These experiences have not only shaped my approach to my work but have also influenced my personal growth and development.

Tahmire F.

[First Serve] has served as a cornerstone for my personal and academic development. [It] has been instrumental in fostering my communication skills, particularly in my interactions with my peers. Through [the program] I have learned the importance of effective communication and have gained the confidence to express myself both emotionally and me.

Misael

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Belle Glade Kids with Bus in background
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Get In Touch

Address
PO Box 1353
West Palm Beach, FL 33402

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