Hebron Va Inc

Hebron VA, Inc. (Hebron) is a nonprofit organization based in Petersburg, Virginia.  Hebron’s mission is to educate and empower underserved females about etiquette and self-love, regardless of socio-economic status and ethnicity. Hebron strategically fosters young females during stages of development to reduce the risk factors for academic failure, substance use, school expulsions, suspensions, crime, teen pregnancy, drop-out rate, and juvenile justice involvement.

Our organization's programs are structured to empower and support underserved and disadvantaged girls in our community. Our organization strategically addresses the gender socioeconomic disparities specific to the City of Petersburg. In the City of Petersburg, female residents make up 54.4 % of the total population (Census, 2021). The City of Petersburg's population has a higher population of female community members and a larger population of minorities that have historically been marginalized. 

Like many inner cities around the country, the State of Virginia has increased gun violence. In 2020, the homicide rate increased 23.4%.   State data sources have found that an average of 96 children and teens die by guns every year. 56 % of all gun deaths among Virginia youth result from homicide.  A combination of the poverty rates and gun violence impacting the kids and adults in Petersburg promoted our organization to consider how we could expand our services to support more families within the community. Many of our program’s parents are working low-income families that cannot afford afterschool programs or activities for their children, and with the added struggle of affording child care.   As a result of the escalating rates of poverty and community violence impacting males, and families in the city of Petersburg, our organization had to determine the best way to engage and impact this targeted audience was by implementing programing in the community.  This is strategic as the fate of those audience members directly alter the success of the girls which are the majority population of this community.

Hebron’s goal is to utilize program supports that mentor, nurture, and build the self-esteem of young females to include young males in need of support. Our plan to expand our summer youth programs to males will support families and the community. In addition, a chance to participate in Hebron’s programs will help the city’s male youth by encouraging them to build skills that position them to become leaders, mentors, and successful entrepreneurs with the capacity to continue cultivating the community as they transition into adulthood.  Our organization’s efforts have proven successful in supporting the young female population, and we are optimistic that we will replicate the outcomes for male youth that are granted an opportunity to participate in Hebron’s Rocks & Rulers: Summer Fun!

Hebron's Rocks & Rulers: Summer Fun is a project for youth (ages 10 to 18) of the City of Petersburg. Once a month, Hebron will invite boys and girls (an average of 50 children) to participate in a day full of ongoing activities. The monthly event will include athletic activities. If a child isn't athletically inclined, intellectually stimulating board games/video games will be encouraged. In addition, all attendees will participate in a speaker workshop on various topics: financial literacy (saving & budgeting), empowerment (building self-esteem & communication skills), anti-bullying/trauma awareness (education & ally recruitment), entrepreneurship, etc. The various speakers and workshop issues will provide the attendees with different information to promote social and health equity. Children that actively participate in all sessions will be rewarded with a trip to an amusement park. This positive reinforcement encourages commitment and perseverance, developing the needed qualities to complete future endeavors. 

Hebron has partnered with the churches in the community to provide a safe, secure space for the youths to participate in the Rocks & Rulers program during evening hours. Parents who work during the evenings or lack the resources to pay for childcare can have a community-based program option for their youth at no cost. Our partnership with churches provides a safe location that is a primary concern with the increase in community violence that has impacted the City of Petersburg. The program's strategy is to address health and social disparities via educational, interactive, engaging activities disguised as "fun" for the youth of Petersburg. In addition, this program encourages the children to build decision-making skills about what is acceptable entertainment and what is a deterrent to at-risk behavior (gang violence/recruitment).