ROANOKE, Va. – Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Jalen Small has been part of the Roanoke Valley for about six years with one main goal and purpose — to help steer today’s youth on the right path in life.
Small is living up to that purpose through his non-profit organization, “Building Bridges Over Barriers.” The mission is to connect local youth with community resources in an effort to overcome any barrier.
“At the end of the day you can get to the mountain top and everything but you still have to go back down and build right back up to get to the next level,” Small said in our recent interview at the Virginia Y. Lee room at the historic Gainsboro Library.
Also known as the “B3 Movement”, Building Bridges Over Barriers is gearing up for another slate of community events that are aimed at serving the youth. On August 5, the 4th annual “Baskets for Academics” will be held at William Fleming High School with proceeds going towards funding for field trips.
On August 12, the non-profit will host a book bag drive as students prepare to go back to school. While in October, a golf event will also be held in conjunction with “Joyous Givers,” the Driving Fore Kids tournament will take place at Hanging Rock Golf Course.
Small also touched on some great tips on how we can truly invest in today’s youth.
“Sometimes we think we can automatically fix a child and I think with myself I learned that I can’t help every child but I can definitely plant a seed in every child and at that point, it’s up to that kid or that village to help it grow,” he said.