Mentorship group starts for local kids

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) -Providing direction to the young people in our communities...that’s the goal of a new organization coming to Toledo who met today. Inspired by their own friendship two Toledo natives came together to explore mentorship opportunities for at risk youth.

Courtney Nunn, co-founder of Tightenup 419, says “It’s a program based on, basically to teach the youth different things to get them off the streets and off the gang life.”

Courtney Nunn was in a gang and served time in prison where he met Antoine, the other co-founder of Tightenup 419, who was in a rival gang.

They went through a program that helped inmates come together while they were behind bars.

“It’s program called Christian wrap where they brought together all different gang members at first everything was rocky. But 6 months, a year down the line everybody came together as one as brothers,” Nunn said.

They’re now using tools they gathers while they were in prison with their new group Tightenup 419. “We’ve seen it work together so we know it’ll work as long as everybody, every group, every organization get on the same path. We know it can work,” Nunn said.

Through their leadership outreach, community leaders came to Ternion Training and Education Centers to talk about how they can work together to mentor local kids.

Nunn says the group’s future goal is to instill life skills into the young men in the community.

“And teach young men trades letting them know how to get trades that way they don’t have to be a rap star, sell dope or gangbang you can make money doing trades,” Nunn said.

Nunn also tells me the group plans to meet every two week once mentors are in place.

You can find more information at this link.

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