JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than 200 men from all over the city of Jacksonville gathered to support a local pastor's initiative to keep Duval County students on the path to success.
The Rev. John Guns, pastor at Bethel Baptist Church, issued a call for 1,000 men last year and has now partnered with the school board, Mayor's Office and Sheriff's Office to have those men be present in public schools.
"This is just an overall partnership in order to fill gaps that exist in the lives especially of our young men at the middle and high school level. Especially our African-American boys," said Superintendent Nikolai Vitti.
Vitti said the absence of role models affects graduation and dropout rates.
But, that's all about to change thanks to an initiative created by Guns calling on 1,000 men to become mentors to male students throughout Duval County.
Monday night, a fifth of that call was met, 200 men came from all over the city to show support.
"This is truly about men from across every spectrum of the city, every spectrum of life," said Guns. "From older men to younger men deciding that this is so important. So it's amazing to look in this room and see man from every age group and location and career calling feeling the passion to do this."
The men will be placed with students from 11 schools. They'll welcome the students over the first two weeks of school and then work with them one on one after that.
Those schools are:
- Edward H. White High School
- Robert E. Lee High School
- Westside High School
- Jean Ribault High School,
- William M. Raines High School
- Grand Park Career Center
- J.E.B. Stuart High School
- First Coast High School
- Mattie V Rutherford Alternative Education Center
- Andrew Jackson High School
- James Weldon Johnson A.C.T. Center