About Us
For 30 years our mission has been to help youth develop character, competence, and commitment for personal and community improvement.
A Better Me. A Better We. A Better Way.
Since 1933, when the New Deal was passed, government and nonprofits have made a concerted effort to fight societal ills. Although we succeeded in getting out of the Great Depression, many of those ills still exist today. It could even be argued that some of those problems are worse today than they were in 1933.
Untold, billions of dollars have been spent to fight poverty, crime and violence. The results can be, at best, described as mixed.
Nonprofits and government have failed to produce a long-lasting and effective solution. This space desperately needs innovation and creativity, not more resources.
of our families have an average annual income of $15,000 OR LESS
reported that their children participate in FREE & REDUCED meal plans
of parents do not feel safe IN THEIR OWN HOME
At First Serve, we believe we have the model that creates true and lasting transformation. By finding, creating, developing and empowering leaders, we are slowly but surely changing communities at the neighborhood level. Not by giving away resources but by creating jobs. We don’t create dependency, we create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. A culture of dependency builds scarcity and scarcity kills creativity and entrepreneurship.
A BETTER ME
By taking the time to properly invest in the lives of youth on a personal level there is a greater likelihood of sustainable change at a community level. This lasting change comes from caring for youth and supplying them with ways to build their self-esteem and leadership skills during their most formative years.
A BETTER WE
A BETTER Way
- 100% of parents report family is having a positive and impactful experience at First Serve
- 100% of parents report they would highly recommend program to family and friends
- 85% of parents report First Serve PAL curriculum and homework assistance led by teen mentors is very important to them
- Each year the young mentees in our program receive over 500 hours active engagement with their teen mentors
- In the last three years over 1000 elementary and middle school children have been positively influenced by our teen mentors
At First Serve, we desire to impart authentic and lasting change, which can only come from empowerment. It takes time, care and genuine relationships to inspire the true change that can only be created from a shift in paradigm. Poverty is not a resource problem, it’s an idea problem. We want to heal broken communities and believe that the best way to do this is through the rising generation of children and teenagers. We engage, educate, and empower these students in order to improve their lives and allow them to understand that they are not limited to their circumstances.