WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A North Carolina mother is spreading her motherly skills not only to her child but to other children in her community. She started a program to help build up young boys as they grow into men.
Deborah Adams runs a summer program, Boys To Men, where she teaches young boys in her community values and skills.
“Our young men are finding nothing to do and getting in trouble more. And I think if you start with them at a young age, they’ll know, ‘OK, there are other things for me to do, besides sitting outside, hanging around grown people. I know there’s other things out there for me to do,’” Adams said.
Adams takes the boys to different activities every week, ranging from golf, swimming and the library and feeding the elderly. She hopes to give back to these kids through the program while they give back to others. A brain tumor robbed her of the chance to fully do that with her own son when he was small.
“He was taking care of me. And I said, ‘No, I don’t want this thing now. And I need, I want him to do something besides take care of his mother.’ Once I got better and decided I was gonna do something with him and all the young people so I won’t be at home, not doing anything, keeping me active,” Adams said.
She started this free program for boys in 2014 after the kindness of a church member changed her son’s life by sending him to aviation camp each summer. She wants her program to be free for parents.
“When I moved here, I was a single parent. My husband passed, so I know how hard it is to not be able to have the money. And I don’t want the money being an issue. Why, the kids could not be in a program,” Adams said.
And while she takes them on fun outings, she also takes them clothes shopping and to get their hair cut. She feels this is her re-do at being a mom and her true joy comes from the boys’ reactions.
“Basically, all about how they feel, what they’re doing, not as much as what I’m doing for them. is how they feel after you them introduce into stuff. So now they want to go home and get some golf clubs or they want to go home and, you know, take more care with their hair. Now I got one suit. Can I get another suit?” Adams said.
If you would like to donate or participate in the Boys To Men program you can reach out to Deborah Adams at her email.