Faith in action: Bubba of Tampa
TAMPA (FOX 13) - A Hillsborough County teacher is going above and beyond to make sure no child slips behind in school.
Last February, Jalem Robinson started up Brothers United Building Brothers Alliance, or better know as BUBBA of Tampa. The non-profit works to mentor young men in low income or high risk communities. Currently, the faith-based organization has 15 mentors. Their primary goal is to reach boys ages 8 to 18.
Robinson got the idea to start BUBBA of Tampa after seeing as a teacher how many kids need extra attention from a positive outside influence.
"It really showed me that there are so many people that have hands on our young men that don't have the heart or the passion for it, and can't really relate or can't really connect with these young men. So they're lost. So they get in a classroom, they can't control them with classroom management, so they just fall into the cracks. I said, you know what, if I see it and don't do anything about it, what's the point. So I said I've got to do something about it somehow, someway. I've got to have a hand in building our young men up," Robinson said.
BUBBA of Tampa is now hoping to work directly with the school district to identify and work with at-risk youth. They are in need of more mentors. For more information, visit www.bubbaoftampa.org.