I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and honor the graduates of the Man Class© Kansas City Cycle 1, it has been 30 days on the job and they continue to impress their contractor the Straub Construction Company. With another class graduating another 8 guys we are hoping to expand our customer base so that we can continue to provide our men with the opportunity to implement the principles we have imparted to them and they have begun to practice. I would ask all of our supporters to continue to spread the good news of our efforts and share with any employers in your networks. The bottom line is that if we don’t provide opportunities for these men to bring economic activity to their community and the ability to provide for their families then all of our training will ring hollow and the community will not see the improvement we all are trying to generate.

This cycle has been one of the most frustrating and one of the most rewarding that I have facilitated in my four years. My frustration stems from the great potential that I see in these guys and how the culture that has produced them has undermined their self-confidence and self-esteem. I have been rewarded by witnessing their willingness to participate in positive change and the growth that they have demonstrated throughout the cycle.  These guys have the potential to be one of our most successful classes, but my concern is that if they don’t see quick success they may revert back into the negative patterns that has characterized their past. Here is to the future success of all of our men!

The board for ReEngage, Inc. is in the process of planning a fundraiser in June with the producers of the film, “We Are Superman”. Unfortunately, our current funding is entirely from private donations and so we depend on the donations from people like you to continue to provide our innovative and groundbreaking training. We hope that you will come out and support our fundraising effort in June and take the opportunity to see the award winning documentary film. It is unfortunate that in our public policy and non-profit funding arena we do not reward innovation and continue to fund the usual suspects and programs. It is because of this trend that I am so proud to work with The Dalmark Group and Straub Construction because they had the courage and vision to try a new approach to a historical challenge to both employer and employee. As a result of our joint efforts we can see today an innovative model that is producing success. As we continue to fine tune our model it is becoming apparent that our model can be expanded not only throughout our region, but nationally as well.

Finally, I want to thank our board for their continued support and efforts to help us become a great organization. As our mission has expanded they have continued to provide leadership and valuable labor in the planning and execution of this expanded mission. We could not have made such a fast transition without their support. Thank you all for all that you do!

ReEngage t-shirts are now on sale. They can be purchased at our office at 3101 Troost, Kansas City, MO and soon to be available on our website on our shopping page. They are available in adult small, medium, large, X-large, 2X, and 3X and the price is $10.00 for S-XL and $15.00 for 2X and 3X. They are 100% premium 6.1 ounce cotton. All proceeds will go towards our training program and will help us to continue to provide our training to the men of our community. Be the first of your friends to own one!

This month we would like to highlight Mr. Rahsan Stenson, Cycle 2 graduate. Mr. Stenson came into the program demonstrating a natural leadership quality and a real desire to participate in positive change for not only himself, but also his family. As a father of six children Mr. Stenson has plenty of motivation to want to make changes in his life.

“Before I came to the Man Class© I was very unhappy with my life circumstances because I was unemployed. I often blamed others (society) for my situation and lack of employment,” stated Mr. Stenson. “I would self-medicate with drugs and alcohol on a regular basis to escape the reality I was living in. I thought being a man was just being a financial provider for my kids, just providing a roof over their heads, food, and clothing.”

“Since attending the Man Class©, I have realized that I was acting as a male with some man tendencies.” Mr. Stenson went on to state, “I found that I like to teeter back and forth from being a male and a man. I also realized that I needed to change my appearance and find someone to mentor me. As a result of the class I have been able to identify my anger type so I now have a better understanding of how to manage it and I have been able to identify my personality type so I now have a better understanding of how I view myself and how others view me.”

Mr. Stenson has recognized his own potential and feels empowered to take back control over his life and become the man he was created to be. “I now feel like I have the tools that have been missing and that I need to be successful, so long as I use them.”, he responded.

Our volunteer spotlight this month is on Ms. Linda Brooks Reese. Ms. Reese is a professional seamstress who has graciously volunteered her time to not only provide fittings for graduates when they select their suits, but also helped us organize what had been a nightmare in our clothing closet. Ms. Reece came to us as a result of our social media page on facebook and we thank God for her. Ms. Reese has over 20 years’ experience working for some of the best men’s clothiers (including The Men’s Warehouse, Jack Henry and others) in Kansas City and is bringing those years of experience to help our men look their best. The experience of being fitted by a professional will help to improve their self-esteem and confidence as they move forward in their development as leaders in their community. Thank you again Ms. Reese.

Graduation is always a bittersweet moment for us at ReEngage. For three weeks we watch these men learn, grow, and open up and then in the end we have to let them go and hope they will carry what they have learned into their families and communities. We at ReEngage are not so arrogant to believe that spending three weeks learning our curriculum (while it is well researched and written) is going to change anyone’s life. Our only hope is that we are able to ignite a spark in every person which they will continue to fan and fuel into a wildfire of change not only for themselves, but also their families and communities. This cycle was full of challenges, but with it came many opportunities for our men and most of them were able to meet the challenges and learn more about themselves. And now comes the real challenge how will they do away from the support and safety of the classroom and back in the real world which for too many of our participants is filled with negativity. We continue to support them through mentors and our support group meetings, but now come work and responsibility.

The graduation ceremony was well attended by friends, family members and supporters of ReEngage. The graduates were well represented by Mr. Rahsan Stenson, who spoke eloquently about what lessons he learned from the training and how his life was before the training and how it is now. He also spoke about the excitement he is feeling as he looks toward the future and becoming a better man.

Father Justin addressed the graduates and thanked them for their efforts and welcomed them back into the community. He reminded the men of the challenges that they faced, but also the opportunities that now awaited them. He also challenged the audience to join with the men in rebuilding and strengthening their community.

We are so proud of the director Kevin Bryce and producer Christopher Cook of “We Are Superman”, who won the Emerging Filmmaker Award at the Kansas City Film Fest. Congratulations Kevin and Chris for the great work you have created and the inspiration you have provided to others to participate in the grassroots efforts spotlighted in your remarkable film. Here is a photograph of Kevin, Chris, and myself at the film festival at the Alamo Brewhouse. I cannot stress enough that if you get the opportunity to watch this film please do and if you have not seen it please plan to watch it with the supporters of ReEngage at our fundraiser scheduled for June 27th.

ReEngage was proud to participate in the 9th annual Troost Festival. The festival was a great success and continues to offer our city the opportunity to transform Troost from a historical dividing line into a gathering place where we can learn how to build a village. We continue to see so much diversity and growth in participation from different organizations and businesses.