My Brother’s Workshop (MBW), a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the lives of at-risk and underserved youth through education, mentoring, counseling, job training, and job placement, is calling on the Virgin Islands community and its supporters for urgent assistance as government grant funding continues to decline and gun violence in the territory spikes.
For years, MBW has relied on grants to help sustain its no-cost services, but after experiencing a 50% decrease in government grants, current and new MBW programs need other sources of funding to thrive.
“This decrease comes at a critical time,” said Chrystie Payne, MBW Program Director. “We’ve expanded our campus and our reach with a $5 million grant from ARPA, which was designated exclusively for construction and has already been spent. None of that funding was available for daily operations or program delivery.”
The need for MBW’s services has never been more urgent. With a rise in gun violence across the territory, MBW’s proven model of intervention and prevention is essential. By equipping youth with education, life skills, mental health support, and paid career training, MBW directly helps reduce the risk factors that contribute to gun violence and criminal activity.
While MBW is actively working to build sustainable revenue through product sales and event space rentals, general operating support from grants and donations remains critical. These funds enable MBW to offer its services at no charge and compensate trainees as they progress toward becoming contributing members of the community.
“We built this campus to serve more youth,” said Payne. “But without stable funding, our capacity to grow and impact lives is limited. We need the community’s help more than ever to continue this life-changing work and help address the violence affecting our territory.”
“MBW started with 4 students and has seen tremendous growth in the past 18 years by serving around 100 youth annually. Now, with the new building, the capacity could easily see over 200 students each year with proper support,” said Jenny Hawkes, MBW Executive Director. “Federal studies estimate that intervention and prevention programs save a community between $2M-$5M per individual over the course of their lifetime. Supporting programs like MBW saves the community millions, helps youth transform their lives, and strengthens communities. It truly is a win-win.”
My Brother’s Workshop is a nonprofit organization serving at-risk youth across the U.S. Virgin Islands through comprehensive services including mentoring, education, mental health counseling, on-the-job training, and job placement. MBW is committed to helping participants become successful, productive members of society and to reducing crime and violence in the community.
To support MBW’s mission or learn more about how you can help, please visit www.mybrothersworkshop.org, email communcaitons@mybrothersworkshop.org, or call 340.715.2769.
