Brothers in Blue: Mentoring At-Risk Youth

Two cartoon police officers promoting Big Brothers in Blue Mentoring program.

Mentoring plays a crucial role in personal and professional development. By engaging in effective mentoring relationships, individuals can gain valuable insights and guidance that help them navigate their careers and improve their skills.

About Us

Who Are We?

Big Brothers in Blue is a dedicated youth organization serving the Columbia and Orangeburg areas. Our mentoring program offers positive male role models for at-risk boys, ages 8 and up, from single-mother households. We connect young men with committed mentors who are police officers, first responders, and military members, fostering trust, guidance, and community support through effective mentoring. By building strong, reliable relationships, we empower youth to navigate life's challenges and achieve their full potential.

Our Mission

At Big Brother in Blue, our mission is to empower at-risk boys aged 8 and up from single-mother households through mentoring by connecting them with dedicated male role models from the ranks of police officers, first responders, and military personnel. We strive to foster trust, guidance, and community support through meaningful mentorship relationships. By building strong, reliable connections, we aim to inspire youth to navigate life's challenges and unlock their full potential, ensuring they have the support they need to thrive and succeed.

Our Vision

Our vision at Big Brothers in Blue is to be the transformative force in the Midlands, establishing a community where every at-risk boy from a single-mother household is equipped with a positive male mentor through our mentoring programs. These mentors model service, integrity, and resilience, leading to reduced youth violence and a future of empowered, successful young men.

Our Core Values

Service & Sacrifice: We honor the selfless dedication of our first responders and military mentors by channeling their commitment into mentoring and service for our youth. Trust & Integrity: We are committed to building authentic, reliable relationships that foster mutual respect and bridge the gap between young men and community authority figures through effective mentoring. Empowerment: We believe in the inherent potential of every boy, striving to equip them with the confidence, life skills, and guidance needed to make positive life choices and unlock their personal success through mentoring. Resilience: We cultivate strength and fortitude in our mentees, teaching them how to navigate challenges, overcome adversity, and thrive through supportive, consistent connections in mentoring relationships. Community Bridge-Building: We actively work to strengthen the social fabric of Columbia by creating positive, enduring bonds between our youth, single-mother families, and the public safety sector through mentoring initiatives.

President & FOUNDER

Smiling police officer posing with a young person in a checkered shirt indoors.

Jason & Nehemiah Roberts

The best way to protect our boys from the system is through effective mentoring, ensuring we keep them out of the system altogether.

My Story

At the age of 16, I had the privilege of meeting Captain Darring Hicks of the Columbia Police Department in South Carolina. At that pivotal moment in my life, I was at a crossroads and faced with the potential for a destructive path. Having dropped out of school and being raised by a single mother with an absent father, I found myself in a challenging situation. However, Captain Hicks inspired me profoundly, igniting a desire to pursue a positive direction. I aspired to become a police officer, just like him.

Motivated by this newfound purpose, I returned to school, secured a position as a security officer, and at the age of 21, I became a Deputy Sheriff with the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Over the past 30 years, I have had the honor of serving in various roles within law enforcement at the Richland County Sheriff's Office, the Columbia Police Department, the Cobb County Sheriff's Office, and currently at the South Carolina State Univ. Department of Public Safety. I went on to receive my bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Liberty University in Lynchburg, V.A., and I consider myself fortunate and blessed to continue this journey.

Throughout my career, my primary objective has always been to help others through mentoring. I have come to realize that none of my achievements would have been possible without God on my side and the guidance of my 'Big Brother in Blue,' Darring Hicks. In light of this, I have made the decision to pay it forward by establishing the nonprofit organization 'Big Brothers in Blue,' which will utilize police officers to mentor at-risk boys and young men aged 8 and older.

My goal is to collaborate with law enforcement agencies and businesses, both locally and nationally, to support this generation of young men who, like myself, are navigating the challenges of growing up with absent fathers.

Big Brothers in Blue

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Brothers in Blue: Mentoring Young Men for a Brighter Future