From birth through school, we are our children’s first teachers. We celebrate every milestone and guide them through each stage of growth. Once they enter school or any educational setting, parenting does not stop. Our children’s development and education must continue both in the classroom and at home. Parenting continues during work, vacations, social events, and every moment away from our children. As parents, we must stay involved, ask questions, seek resources, and make

Valentine’s Day is coming soon, and this will be my day without my soulmate. That reality sits heavy. I know God has a plan for me, even when I wrestle with it. Even when I fight against what I do not fully understand. But I am not a victim of my circumstances. I am a survivor. I am a mental health survivor. This season has forced me to look at myself honestly. To patiently fix myself. To grow myself. To love myself. I am living for me right now. That is not selfish that is

God saw you getting tired when a cure was not to be. He wrapped His arms around you and whispered, “Come to me.” You didn’t deserve what you went through, so He gave you rest. God’s garden must be beautiful, because He only takes the best. And when we saw you sleeping peaceful and finally free from pain. I could not wish you back just to suffer again. The memories you left will always stay. Time will move forward, and even though your physical presence is no longer in front o

Beast Mode

We are a small nonprofit with a big heart. Four staff members. Dedicated volunteers. And a whole lot of faith. Funding is always a challenge. But we don’t operate from fear. We operate from belief. We believe the right people will align. We believe the right doors will open. We believe the community will show up. All donations are welcomed: Monetary contributions Volunteers Clothing Hygiene products School supplies Groceries Event access for youth experiences Every single don

The world is already loud. Already divided. Already critical. Our youth don’t need more negativity. They need calm voices. They need safe spaces. They need someone saying, “You are enough.” At Mentor the Motivated, we are intentional about creating environments where kids can breathe. Laugh. Create. Be kids. We are working to bring in more kid-friendly activities — spaces where they can learn without pressure and grow without fear. Because joy is healing. Exposure is powerful

Let’s be honest. You can’t focus in school if you’re hungry. You can’t feel confident if you don’t have hygiene products. You can’t talk about goals when survival comes first. So we don’t just mentor. We show up. We provide: Clothing Groceries and meals Toiletries and hygiene products Access to social workers and therapists Diversity programs to expose youth to new environments I also serve the homeless through community donations. Because pain doesn’t pick an age group. And

This Started With My Kids My name is Tyrese Mckie. I’m a single mom of two beautiful children, a community advocate, and the founder of Mentor the Motivated. But before any title, I’m a mother. Back in 2017, while volunteering at my children’s schools, I started noticing something heavy. So many students didn’t have goals. Not because they weren’t smart. Not because they didn’t care. They just didn’t have the tools. The guidance. The push. The belief. I saw potential sitting

This journey is going to have ups and downs—good days and bad days, moments of strength, moments of sadness, anger, and disruption. There will be incidents that shake you and systems that fail you, especially when care and compassion are most needed. I’m learning that healing isn’t just physical; it’s emotional, environmental, and deeply connected to how we are treated when we are most vulnerable. I entered the hospital on October 31st, 2025 Halloween. I arrived around five i

I recently had a conversation that forced me to face a hard truth. What I believed was love and support had slowly turned into dependency. As Black single mothers, we often carry everything—provider, protector, fixer, and nurturer. We do it because the world is hard and unforgiving. But there comes a point when giving more starts to cost us ourselves. I have adult children now, and I had to ask myself an honest question: Am I raising capable adults, or am I shielding them fro

Let's start taking our voices into low-income areas and engage our black families to join the fight. Teach our babies that their voice matters. We must become a village and go out educate our tribe. There’s a parent that has never made any parent conference, coffee with the principal or school meetings. There’re many reasons why parents/guardians stop volunteering at schools. Could it be due to their 1st encounter is the front office staff. Or, experiencing negative encounter

You sat in front of your son and told him he did not have a needle in his arm. You questioned his integrity as a man—while he is married to a registered nurse, raising three sons, and standing in adulthood. You looked him in the face and said you do not respect him as a man. What you failed to consider is what that does to his heart, his spirit, and his sense of self. Words do not disappear once spoken. They embed. They bruise. They linger. Forgiveness does not mean acceptanc

The reputation of a single Black mother is often judged before her story is ever heard. Her business, her stability, and her worth are decided by outsiders who have never stood in her shoes. From that point on, her trajectory can go in many directions. Maybe she becomes an advocate. Maybe she tells her story. Maybe she keeps surviving quietly while the world continues to misunderstand her. Living paycheck to paycheck forces impossible choices. The desperation that pushes a mo

Forgiveness does not mean acceptance. Accountability still applies. Words do not disappear once spoken—they embed. Your voice, your mouth, your language connect directly to the heart. Repeated harm becomes internalized truth. Historically, Black culture protected boys when they reached a certain age. Men stepped in—not to abandon mothers, but to preserve the emotional and psychological safety of boys. When that structure was broken, damage followed. We abandoned protection an

From My Heart to Yours For those who don’t know, I’ve started a new health journey. After all the negative things I’ve endured—losing family members, facing crisis after crisis—I realized I needed to step back, breathe, and regroup. I had to gather my thoughts and refocus on what truly matters: making a difference. Sometimes life gives us a wake-up call so powerful that it shakes us into seeing our purpose again. For me, this is that moment. I am grateful. I am love. I am ble

Hi. I know you’re probably thinking that’s a very boring way to start, but I know you—if I had made it any longer, you wouldn’t have read it. There’s so much I want to say to you, but there’s not enough time in the world, so we’ll start by saying STOP. Stop blaming yourself for the things you couldn’t control. Stop letting people walk all over you just because you wanted people to like you. Stop holding your emotions in and taking everything out on yourself. Just STOP. I know

Monday, October 27th, was challenging, and today I feel the weight of it. As a community leader and the founder of a nonprofit built on healing, empowerment, and positive change, I know I must hold myself accountable. My work in the community has always been rooted in love, respect, and service, so it is important for me to offer a sincere and public apology for my behavior that day. I arrived at Bingo excited and prepared. With surgery coming up and Sunday Bingo being closed

Introduction Every day is a lesson, and some lessons come when you least expect them. As someone who teaches positivity, self-love, and accountability, I’ve learned that growth doesn’t always happen in calm moments—it often happens in chaos. This week reminded me that even when we fall short, reflection and humility can help us realign with our purpose. Protectin’ My Peace On Monday, things got stressful. I woke up today feeling bad—ashamed and embarrassed about my behavior.

Sex trafficking is one of the most devastating realities facing our youth, especially teenagers who are already carrying the weight of...

I keep a journal and follow online spaces where people share stories of healing, pain, and resilience. Writing has always been a way of...