Meet Fred.

Fred is someone who has the spirit of a warrior and the heart of a servant. He is determined to make it and he is an extremely hard worker. He is one of the meekest youth that my wife and I have encountered yet he is bold and resilient. One day he will be a great leader because of his humility and willingness to serve. Fred is always willing to do the chore or task that other youth are not willing to do and he does it with joy. He is determined to find his way out of the ghetto.  

If you know Fred’s story you would understand his determination. He comes from one of the most notorious neighborhoods in Atlanta, even in the country, called "The Bluff".  Fred and his family live in a community that has historically been known to be one of the most drug infested places in American history. It has been named the heroin capitol of the south and was ranked the 5th most dangerous neighborhood in America. 

Every time my wife or I would go pick up Fred and his brother to spend time with them, we would have to make our way through streets filled with drug addicts, prostitutes, and abandoned houses being used for shoot up spots. His street was always full of heartbreaking images of broken lives and hopelessness. One day his mom called me and asked me to pick him up because the DEA had busted in their home for a drug sweep. His mom was not able to afford to live on her own and had found herself stuck having to live with a friend who was selling drugs. This is not the life she wanted for her kids. She wanted a safe space for them to thrive and so they came to stay with us in the student housing. 

Fred is well mannered, respectful, and hardworking. He wants the best out of life. He strives for better and is someone that is truly grateful for opportunities others easily look over. He never took the opportunity to live in the house for granted and seized every opportunity given to him. 

I recall us talking over the possibilities of the youth running their own mobiles bars and will never forget the smile and joy that overtook Fred’s face when he thought of the opportunity to change his life and even his family’s lives. Fred jumped at any opportunity to build the business. He was just as excited and motivated to do the grunt work as he was the fun work. Fred always made himself available for whatever was necessary to grow, learn, and secure his chance at this opportunity. 

Fred took our conversations as a promise! A promise that he would never forget! Even though my wife and I are currently taking a break from having youth live with us, we still spend time with them and they are still involved in the business. We continue to make progress on the promise of the business. We have a licensed commercial kitchen that we are working out of, the company is a legitimate LLC, the brand is trademarked, and we are licensed through the department of the Agriculture. We are keeping our promise to these youth to provide positive opportunities for them to thrive and have a better future. 

There was a period of a few months where I had not seen Fred due to my father passing away and my first son being born. When my wife and I got back on the ball and started hosting outdoor events at Monday Night Brewing, the first person I called to start working the events was Fred. Since I had not seen him in awhile, when I picked him up I asked “did you think we forgot about you and the vision?” He said “of course not”. His faith is not easily wavered and he believes in the vision. Fred believes the future is good with It’s Good!

Can you see the hope in his eyes and envision a better future for Fred and his family?

Can you see these kids flourishing in business and life?

Partner with us and help be a stream of living water that will allow these youth to never thirst again.