OYC Miami: An Overtown Anchoring Organization Celebrates 20 Years!

In this series, OCYC highlights organizations that positively impact the residents in our Overtown Community. Since its founding in 2003 by NBA Hall-of-Famer Alonzo Mourning and real estate developer Martin Z. Margulies, OYC Miami has created a safe haven for children living in Overtown and neighboring communities.

What is the inspiration behind your organization?

OYC Miami, which was founded in 2003, inspiration stems from the profound belief that every person deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances. We recognize the unique challenges faced by youth and families in our urban areas, and we are driven by a passion to provide them with the support and resources they need to make a positive impact in their lives.

By offering quality after school programs, providing access to health and wellness, as well as career readiness services, we aim to empower persons to reach their full potential, and build brighter futures for themselves and their communities.

Ultimately, our dedication is fueled from the resilience and tremendous amount of potential we see in those we serve. We know that by investing in our community, we are building a future, where tidal waves of positive change reverberate and will extend to generations to come.

Who benefits from your organization and how?

Our approach to promoting success, fostering hope and creating lifelong learners is aimed at strengthening the entire community. OYC Miami 365-degree servicing approach benefits our community, and the tools offered gives persons the chance to flourish in life.

Why does Overtown need your organization?

Historically, the Overtown area has been underserved and had a limited number of resources for youth and family residents. Through OYC Miami we are leveling the playing field, by serving as a bridge that offers programs and services that serve as a pathway to success. Overtown needs our organization to address the longstanding disparities and provide crucial support for the community's youth and families. By offering a pathway to success through our programs and services, we aim to empower individuals and contribute to the overall development and well-being of Overtown.

What message do you have for Overtown’s children and youth?

To the incredible youth in our community, we want them to know they are valued, capable, and deserving of every opportunity to thrive. No matter the challenges they encounter we want them to know at OYC Miami, we believe in their potential to achieve greatness.

We encourage them to embrace every opportunity for growth, learning, and self-discovery that OYC Miami provides, and remember, that they are alone on this journey.

What do you want the residents of Overtown to know about your organization?

OYC Miami’s programming is designed to engage children in educational and recreational activities that promote their academic, social, emotional and physical development. It boasts five major components designed to empower youth to excel in school and in life overall. A wide range of preventive and character-building activities also teach youth to identify negative influences, avoid them and pursue positive pathways to success. We encourage parents to register their children to participate in our year-round.

How do you select participants?

OYC Miami hosts approximately 10 community engagement events to promote program services and utilizes traditional methods such as the distribution of flyers and resources as outreach strategies. For program consideration: siblings are given first priority of program entry; youth entering the program are referred to the program by their teachers, administrator or principal; school administrators or staff recommendations are encouraged as a recruitment strategy. Interested parents/guardians from the community or families referred by other program partners or providers are also considered for admission.

The most effective marketing strategies to engage new students in the program are word of mouth by key stakeholders in the community such as natural helpers, principals, teachers and other service providers who engage disconnected youth or provide family services. Lastly, social media has also helped to yield increased interest in OYC Miami’s program services.

What challenge(s) do you see for your organization’s success?

The most critical and strategic issues that OYC Miami is currently facing are primarily attributed to growth and sustainability. OYC Miami is constrained by the employment market, as well as budgetary to attract, retain, and sustain the talent necessary to move the organization to the next level. This is an inherent issue of the perception of how and why non-profits should be funded.

What’s your favorite part about your organization?

The transformative influence that OYC Miami has on the community at large. Speaking with former students, who share the impact made in their lives through this organization, as well as seeing the positive changes and growth in our current participants, is truly rewarding. It's inspiring to witness the tangible difference we are making in the lives of individuals and the community as a whole.

If you could have lunch with any person from Overtown, past or present, who would it be and why?

Dana A. Dorsey, who was a businessman, banker, and philanthropist and became one of the first African–American millionaires in Florida and the American South. Why? Because when you think of black wealth creation, he was a pioneer. I would like to talk to him and listen to his insights about the importance of owning land and his ideas on ending generational cycles of poverty.

Where do you see your organization in 3 years, 5 years?

Strategic collaborations and replication of the OYC model across Florida. This expansion will allow us to reach more youth and families and provide enriching support and resources necessary for their personal and academic growth. By scaling our impact, we can create a broader and more sustainable positive influence in communities beyond Overtown, ultimately contributing to the overall betterment of society.