Q: I read about the “More Than a Mask” initiative through Corners Outreach. Could you tell me how this organization started and a bit about it?
A: Corners Outreach began in 2012 as a vehicle to make lives better for families, and has grown through their academy and industries programs.
Larry Campbell’s vision was to start a church but the restrictions concerned him.
Wanting to help people beyond the confines of walls, he spent a lot of time in the living rooms of families, said Founder and Executive Director Larry Campbell.
“I think many times we think we know more things than we do. Coming from a consulting background, part of being a good consultant is being a good listener, confirm what you hear and then take action,” he said.
He learned academics and dropping out of high school was an issue for these families.
His quest to find the answer sent him to a mobile village helping children with homework.
“Believing in analytics and what you measure is where your focus is,” led him to believe it was language barriers that caused the students to be left behind.
Springboarding from the statistics, the after-school tutoring program, Corners Academy, was established and now partners with nine Title 1 schools.
“Education opens doors which is part of the reason we focus on high school graduation,” said Campbell.
They don’t stop at academics. “Our whole objective is the entire family. We want to try to understand what’s going on inside the family,” the founder said.
The information gained from surveying the student’s parents led to Corners Industries with the goal of providing employment or better career opportunities. One result revealed that the most common occupation held by the dads was lawn care. This set them up to start a lawn business that gives 15% of every dollar back to tutoring.
“Through Corners, we offer you anything you need from food, healthcare, housing, education or business. It’s a concept that we are constantly saying ‘How can I help you like you better?‘,” Campbell said.
For more information, visit https://cornersoutreach.org
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