Agency - 4C Coalition

The 4C Mentoring Program provides trained, committed mentors to youth, ages 12 to 18, involved in the King County Juvenile Justice system.

In working "our" mission we recognize the importance of collaboration, which is why we welcome the partnership with City of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn's Service Plan - Engage Seattle. The Seattle Service Plan's volunteer impact initiatives are aligned with the priorities identified in the Youth & Families Initiative categories of education and youth development.

Description:
The 4C Coalition(Clergy, Community and Children/Youth Coalition) is a core partner in Seattle/King County Reclaiming Futures Project and the lead agency for the Seattle Cares Mentoring Movement.

The 4C Coalition was founded in 1999 when several clergy, community leaders and members in Seattle began to take a closer look at the number of youth of color in the juvenile justice system. Based on their findings, the group decided to take action and form an organization that would recruit community members to serve as mentors for the many at-risk youth who are dying daily in our streets and falling through the cracks in our educational system.

The 4C Coalition Mentoring Program is a 501(c)(3) agency founded specifically to engage and meet an urgent need to provide vulnerable youth with mentors to help them succeed. Among the treatments and services provided to highly vulnerable youth, mentoring has shown to be the single most effective means to help them establish and sustain success in school and engage pro-social activities.

4C Coalition Programs

• King County Juvenile Court

Ages 13-17- Response to the high number of youth that suffer with issues such as substance abuse, emotional, mental despair, crime and poverty.

Serving youth who are 4-6 months from completing probation and have been assessed as at risk to re-offend. The referred youth is matched one-on-one with a mentor who helps them seek alternatives to destructive behaviors The mentor acts as a role model and supports the youth as they navigate the court system, drug court and back to the community.

• SYVPI
(Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative)
Ages 12-17- “The time has come for the city and the community to fundamentally change our overall strategy on preventing youth violence.” – Former Mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels.

Serving youth that live or go to school in central, southeast, and southwest Seattle neighborhoods
Youth are matched with Mentors who assist and encourage the youth to fulfill the goals they have set related to: education, vocation and living a drug/alcohol free lifestyle.

• LEAP Re-entry
(Learning Employment Achieving Potential)
Ages 14-18- Serving youth returning home from juvenile detention. LEAP provides the youth with employment, education and engagement to reduce the risk of re-offense.

Case managers identifies youth that could benefit from a mentor OR a youth self referred themselves as they are interested in mentoring.

History:
THE 4C COALITION
The 4C Coalition began with a campaign called "Operation Uplift". The purpose of Operation Uplift was to create and design a recruitment campaign to increase and expand opportunities for mentoring. The campaign for Operation Uplift was a collaboration between Big Brothers and Big Sisters of King County, The Joy Initiative and the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration Mentor Program.

The programs worked together to recruit mentors, especially African-American male mentors, to work with the devastating number of youth in need of support. After several meetings it was decided by Operation Uplift that to have an impact on the faith community, an atmosphere had to be created that would inform and inspire the church community. Out of Operation Uplift the 4C Coalition was born.

SEATTLE CARES MENTORING MOVEMENT
In March 2008, the 4C Coalition Mentor Program helped launch the Seattle CARES Mentoring Movement, part of a national movement spearheaded by Susan Taylor, editor emeritus of Essence Magazine.

Seattle Cares is one of the 22 launches across the US to recruit volunteer mentors to help young people achieve their full potential. As the lead agency for this campaign, the 4C Coalition partners with local affiliates that include Washington State Mentors, CASA, The Links Inc., Seattle Urban League, DSHS, and King County.
WE CALL YOU TO JOIN THE MOVEMENT !!! MENTOR A YOUTH TODAY!!

Contact people:

Hazel Cameron, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Mark Otero, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Address:

1404 East Yesler Way, Suite 204 Seattle, WA 98122 (See a map)

Directions:

Directions to Our Office 4C Coalition 1404 East Yesler Way, Suite 204 Seattle, 98122 From South Seattle: From Rainier Avenue, At Jackson Street, make a slight Right onto 14th Ave South. Follow to the firt light. Our building is on the Northeast corner of Yesler. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: Metro 27