July 17, 2022

Bivian “Sonny” Lee III | Son of a Saint

WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? WHY IS THIS WORK IMPORTANT TO YOU?

I chose this work because it is part of my own experience and resonates on a personal level. My father passed away from a sudden heart attack when I was only three years old. I grew up without his presence in my life, and that informed so much of my adolescence. It shaped my view of the world and underscored the need for mentors and father figures to provide a strong example for young men in the world.

WHAT IMPACT ARE YOU MAKING?

In 2021, Son of a Saint had the privilege and the honor of celebrating a decade of impact, service, and success. The 10th anniversary year also resulted in major milestones for our organization, including staff growth from 10 individuals to more than 25 talented team members, as well as unprecedented, next-level partnerships at the regional and national level, including the support of entities such as Nike, the NBA Foundation and Stonepeak.  

Most importantly, thanks to sustained meaningful support from a collective network of committed donors, supporters, partners, and collaborators, Son of a Saint accomplished its greatest feat thus far: we doubled the number of mentees in our program, reaching 200 young men and marking the highest mentee enrollment in Son of a Saint’s 11-year history. 

A recent program evaluation showed that Son of a Saint’s program model and its execution is yielding measurable results. Our mentees are performing better than the average student in New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, and the U.S. as a whole. This includes a 100% high school graduation rate amongst our mentees, an 80 percent college enrollment rate, with the remainder pursuing gainful employment and career paths, as well as higher-than-average performance metrics on ACT scoring. Our young men also report that upon completion of their Son of a Saint mentee experience they feel highly motivated and better equipped to enter their future and achieve success. To date, Son of a Saint has graduated 36 young men who now serve as alumni of our organization and role models to our younger mentees.

WHAT (OR WHO) INSPIRES YOU TO DO THIS WORK?

I find inspiration daily by witnessing the success of our boys as a result of our programming and seeing the impact of Son of a Saint on our community. Also, the collective of teachers, coaches, and mentors, my Uncle Warmouth and Mr. Benson, always encouraged me to pursue my goals and inspired me to live with intention by serving my community. 

WHAT’S YOUR VISION, YOUR BIG DREAM FOR THE IMPACT YOU WANT TO MAKE?

I hope to see our mission continually applied to the communities to solve youth issues. I hope to see more mentees transform their lives, their families’ lives, and their community through independence, self-sufficiency, and applying all they’ve learned from the Son of a Saint experience; then return to our program and become Son of Saint mentors themselves.

I want Son of a Saint to become ingrained in the culture and fabric of New Orleans and synonymous with the best of the city, like gumbo, jazz, red beans, and the fleur de Lis.

WHAT CHALLENGES ARE YOU FACING?

A stark reality is that there are more boys throughout our community than we can consistently reach who could use and benefit from the services and support Son of a Saint provides. With nearly half of New Orleans’ children growing up in single-mother households, there is a significant need for our program that cannot be ignored. 

Fatherlessness is a generational cycle for many young men in our community due to systemic barriers (like high incarceration rates, under-resourced schools, and racial and socioeconomic inequity) that can chronically deprive families of the economic, health, and educational resources that are necessary to thrive. The problem of fatherlessness certainly extends beyond just the Greater New Orleans area as well.

WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CAUSE AND/OR THE WORK YOU’RE DOING?

Son of a Saint is more than (solely) mentorship. Our program also includes postsecondary preparation, mental health services, case management, career development, academic enrichment, nutrition education, and travel, among other core elements.  

Son of a Saint utilizes an evidence-based approach that engages youth in a manner that is constructive, applies each youth’s strengths, fosters positive relationships, and cultivates safe and trusting spaces. 

What makes Son of a Saint’s approach most unique is our three-part methodology, which is applied across all facets of the organization:

1. Preventative: Statistics show the need to intervene and engage with young men during their formative years and create change when it is most critical.
2. Long-term: Son of a Saint is present in our mentees’ lives from age 10–18, and beyond into young adulthood. Our philosophy is that this is the amount of time needed to make a deep, lasting impact.
3. Holistic: Life does not happen in silos; the many issues our boys face are all interconnected.

Our goal is to graduate self-sufficient, independent thinkers who are leaders and give back to their community. What we provide, above all else, is an example. Through the Son of a Saint experience, we seek to equip boys with the tools they need to become productive men. We give them hope, vision, and opportunity. We provide a secure and consistent environment for them.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE QUOTE OR WORDS OF INSPIRATION TO SHARE?

I continuously refer back to a quote from one of my all-time personal mentors, the late great Tom Benson: “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”

HOW CAN OTHERS SUPPORT YOU OR YOUR CAUSE?

There are numerous ways to support Son of a Saint. I encourage you to explore our website and follow us on social media – Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook – to learn more about what we do and how we do it.  There you can view the many different programming events and engagement activities that the boys participate in. 

We are actively recruiting male mentors, both male and female volunteers and we encourage anyone to get involved with our organization however they can. There is space for everyone at Son of a Saint. 

At Orapin, we believe those who are working for the greater good should be known, supported, and celebrated. We give purpose-driven organizations that want to do PR the strategy, resources, and support they need to get started so they can increase awareness and maximize their impact. If would like to be featured in INSPIRED IMPACT™, reach out to hello@orapinmarketing.com.