We were lucky to catch up with Roy Jefferson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Roy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
In 2009 I started doing outreach through a church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri while I attended college at Southeast Missouri State University. I met with young men apart of the Missouri Division of Youth Services and young men who were in the Juvenile Detention Center. I met these young men at these centers every sunday offering mentorship and encouragement based upon the goals designed by the centers they were living in. One day I had the opportunity to meet a young man at the Cape Girardeau County Juvenile Detention Center who staff shared they were unable to console. I met him at the center where he was in a holding room. Staff shared that he has been crying for quite some time and they have not been able to console him. I walked into the room and started speaking with him. I knew there were cameras in the room, but I did not know they were listening to the actual words I was speaking. Staff shared that they liked how I built rapport and connected with the young man. They then shared that I should apply for a position here. I shared with them that I was not interested, but they insisted so I submitted an application. I was hired, but about 10 months later the center was closed and staff was laid off due to juvenile justice reforms. About two years later I received a call asking if I could think of a program to help lessen the number of minority referrals to the juvenile office and prepare it for an interview. I envisioned a program called, My 180 Court Diversion Program. The program consisted of mentorship, home work help, and after school activities. My 180 Court Diversion Program attracted a lot of attention and support from the Cape Girardeau Community that I later transitioned the program from just focusing on diversion programming, but to being a community youth program. In 2012, My 180 Youth Program was created offering: youth mentoring, academic tutoring, moral reconation therapy (group therapy), and leadership development. I moved back to St. Louis, MO in 2015 and My 180 Youth Program relaunched in 2016 as a free standing youth program. 10 years later and almost 200 families served we are committed to helping youth achieve wellbeing through mentoring relationships. My 180 Youth Program is unique because we provide mentoring opportunities for young men that other agencies may not be comfortable with. There is no young man we are not willing to connect with to ensure that they have the opportunity to be empowered. What’s special about our approach is that we are providing mentoring opportunities through a mixture of small group and one on one mentoring. We have designed our program to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience the support and care of a mentor.
Story 1 – “One thing that sets My 180 and other youth programs apart is that we do respond. A lot of individuals say, ‘Hey, I’m looking for some services. I make phone calls and I never get a response. I send emails and I never get a response. But you respond. You follow up. You do what you say you’re gonna do.’ The biggest difference with My 180 is that we are a family. When the pandemic started, one boy fell three months behind in schoolwork from going to virtual school. The Mom called me so angry: ‘I don’t know how he fell this far behind!’ With me being able to work remotely, I said, ‘I’ll bring my computer over and sit at your house, and we’ll do this for a few weeks until he catches up.’ We’re laying on the floor. I’m doing my work, he’s doing his homework. And he was able to catch up on all his schoolwork.”
Roy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Roy Jefferson, and I am from St. Louis, Missouri. I sort of fell into this work, but thinking back through high school I was preparing myself for work like this. Throughout high school I worked for after school programs, summer day camps, and volunteered as a counselor for sixth grade camps, and special needs camps. I did this work because they was easy and I had fun interacting with young people. This desire to support youth carried me into working for Cape Girardeau County Juvenile Office in 2011 and the St. Louis City Family Court in 2015. There I supported caseloads of young people who were placed on court supervision for law violations. In 2019, I left the court system with the belief there was a better way to impact communities apart from the courtroom. Since making that decision My 180 Youth Program has grown tremendously. We are serving youth and families now in Missouri and Illinois.
With My 180 Youth Program I am able to provide to young men ages 10-18 with the opportunity to connect with positive adult role models. Growing up as a child I understood the difficulty of growing up without a father and the importance of having a male role model. I am grateful for a grandfather who took time to listen, support, and bring encouragement. It is from that relationship where I support the young men apart of My 180 Youth Program.
“The best part of my job is the conversations. Every session we get something to eat and there’s just something about having a conversation over food. I ask questions about their day and we share stories. Those mini moments matter when someone tells me they’ve raised their grades or, when given the opportunity to, make a good decision. When I was going through rough patches as a teenager, I didn’t have that adult to sit and talk to. You know, someone other than my parents or family members — a third party to bounce feelings off of. And those relationships are so important.”
Roy Jefferson, Founder of 180 Youth Program, Inc.
“I had my first graduation this year. I met this young man in 2016, so this is my longest match. He’s 20 now, and even though the program is over, we still meet. When he got his cap and gown and diploma, he said, ‘I don’t know how to feel.’ I told him, ‘Well, I’m proud of you, man. Do you want to take some pictures?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, I’ll take some pictures.’ Getting his picture taken, you could tell he was really proud. That’s one of the most emotional moments I’ve experienced in this work. In the car afterwards, I said, ‘Regardless of how you may feel, I know what people say about how men are supposed to act, or whatever. But I just want to say I’m proud of you. And I’m happy you graduated. ’ I said, ‘Dude, this is a big milestone for you.’ We’ve talked about community colleges and he wasn’t sure. We’re working on his self-esteem too. I told him, ‘I went to school. Single parent and two younger brothers in a one-bedroom apartment in North City. If I can do it, you can do it. You got my support. I’m not going anywhere until you tell me you’re done with me.’ It’s important that our young men are affirmed. So often youth hear what’s wrong with them, but they rarely hear anyone speak positive affirmations about them.”
Roy Jefferson, Founder of 180 Youth Program, Inc.
“I was working in the court system and I lost my sixth kid who died in the streets. At that point, I just said ‘Enough is enough. I quit.’ And I left St. Louis City Family Court. I’’d been to six funerals, but I’d never been to a graduation. I felt that there had to be a better way to serve communities, families, and youth. Since then, I’ve been chasing after that ‘better.’ It took a while, but at this point I have it now. I’ve had a boy say to me, ‘Meeting you feels like I have a second dad. I just met my real dad and now I have two.’ Another boy said, ‘I’ve never had an opportunity to be this close with another male and to just talk and for me to learn as a young man how to respond to things.’ Then another one said, ‘Roy, you far surpass all my family members in the things you’ve helped me with as far as employment and clothes for my interview.’ These conversations with parents and youth are moments that confirm I am on the right path.”
Roy Jefferson, Founder of 180 Youth Program, Inc.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
In 2019 I made a pivot within my career when I believed it did not line up with my personal beliefs with impacting youth in the community. The pivot came when I couldn’t see the value of the work that I was providing. I was in a role surrounded by others who became used to the status quo and were no longer committed to the community to committed to roles and titles. I was not comfortable remaining within the court system after 10 years and never attending a high school graduation, but attended 6 funerals of youth who I once case managed.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
What has helped me build my reputation within youth services is by: doing what I say I’m going to do, answering and responding to calls and emails, and following through.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.my180yp.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/my180yp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/my180yp
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roy-jefferson-65599769
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/my180yp?lang=en