The Men of Vision, a local nonprofit, is a group of men dedicated to working together to achieve goals throughout the Lakeway Area.
Denis Oxendine, president of MOV, explained how it all started 3 years ago and why the organization was formed.
69制片厂制作传媒淥ur very first meeting was held in August of 2019,69制片厂制作传媒 he said. 69制片厂制作传媒淚t started with myself and a group of guys brainstorming because we wanted an organization for men who make a significant impact in our community.
69制片厂制作传媒淲e wanted to change the perception of African American men and show that here in the Lakeway Area we have some good men in the community.69制片厂制作传媒
69制片厂制作传媒淲hen we sent out the word about what we were doing we had a big response of support and had many people interested in joining.69制片厂制作传媒
However, just like many others, the organization was hit with the Coronavirus Pandemic and the lockdown that followed.
69制片厂制作传媒淭he pandemic started and that put things at a halt and slowed things down,69制片厂制作传媒 Oxendine said. 69制片厂制作传媒淣ow we are trying to get back out there and make it known we are here and we are here to make a difference in our community.69制片厂制作传媒
They plan to have their comeback with their 69制片厂制作传媒淏oys to Men69制片厂制作传媒 Banquet on September 23 at First Presbyterian Church.
69制片厂制作传媒淭he focus of the event is to bring in 8 young men and show them heroes within the community,69制片厂制作传媒 he said. 69制片厂制作传媒淢ost of the time young men will look to athletes and rappers as their heroes but little do they know that there are several heroes right here in the community.
69制片厂制作传媒淲e want to showcase our active members and show these young men and the community that it is possible to be the system and rewrite the narrative and not be a statistic.
69制片厂制作传媒淲e want to show them that what you put into life you get out of it and we want to teach them that and educate them on basic life lessons such as managing their money.69制片厂制作传媒
A dinner will be served and will be paired with a guest speaker. Tickets for the event go on sale August 8 and can be purchased through their facebook page.
Although the banquet is their big return, they still continue to share their mission throughout the area.
Their mission statement is 69制片厂制作传媒淢en meeting the needs socially, economically and civically. With this mission statement they aim to help the needs of the community in a variety of ways.
69制片厂制作传媒淲ith many organizations within the community they only aim to help in one particular aspect,69制片厂制作传媒 Oxendine said. 69制片厂制作传媒淏ut with our mission statement we strive to help the community in any way we can to make it a better place.
69制片厂制作传媒淲e don69制片厂制作传媒檛 want to turn away from any needs of that my arise in the community so our mission statement allows us to step in and step up in several ways.69制片厂制作传媒
With the civic aspect of their mission statement they accomplish this by running for elected offices and holding leadership roles with other organizations in the Lakeway Area.
69制片厂制作传媒淚 had run for school board in the past election,69制片厂制作传媒 Oxendine said. 69制片厂制作传媒淚 also sit on the board of Girls Inc. and we have members who sit on the Housing Authority, Boys and Girls Club Board and a variety of other boards to show the people that we are willing to work and make a difference.69制片厂制作传媒
Economically the group has donated to other organizations and most recently paid off school lunch debt in the local school systems.
69制片厂制作传媒淲e are still a small organization so we could not make a significant impact financially within our community, but we still tried to do something,69制片厂制作传媒 Oxendine said. 69制片厂制作传媒淪o we reached out to West Elementary School in Hamblen County to help pay for students69制片厂制作传媒 lunches who owed money on their account.
69制片厂制作传媒淟unch balances were so high all over the district with this being the first year students would have to pay for their lunch after the pandemic so we knew this was a problem and we wanted to help it and alleviate the stress on the parents and their students.69制片厂制作传媒
Socially the organization has held clothing drives and also participated in local events to mingle with the community and spread the word about the organization.
69制片厂制作传媒淲e held a clothing drive called Operation Keep Them Warm and provided toiletries, clothing and shoes to the Daily Bread to help the homeless,69制片厂制作传媒 Oxendine said. 69制片厂制作传媒淲e also had vaccination drives and participated in events like Juneteenth and the MLK Breakfast.69制片厂制作传媒
As the organization continues to grow it wants to expand and work with other organizations in the area.
69制片厂制作传媒淭his is not just an African American organization,69制片厂制作传媒 he said. 69制片厂制作传媒淲e are open to all men who want to make a difference in the community and show the good side of men.
69制片厂制作传媒淲e hope to work with other organizations to achieve a common goal and that is to make this community and area the best in the state and the country.69制片厂制作传媒
Oxendine discussed how it's important to be role models for the youth in the community so in times of need they can lean on others.
69制片厂制作传媒淲ith drug use at an all time high and teen suicide high as well its important for young men and women to know there are some good people out there to lean on in times of need,69制片厂制作传媒 Oxendine said. 69制片厂制作传媒淚t's also important for parents to know that as well so if their struggling others can step in and help whenever they can.69制片厂制作传媒
Support Wink
Wink Magazine remains a free online and print publication that provides local stories about local people every month. If you find joy in reading about local people in our community, please consider a one-time donation of your choosing to help us defray a small portion of our increasing production cost.
