Today we’d like to introduce you to Darrell Caldwell.
Hi Darrell, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I begin to have a passion for helping my community when in the eighth grade, my basketball coach bought me game shoes because my mother was receiving government subsidies and could not afford them. I volunteered with Young Life and visited middle / high schools while in college for a short period of time. After graduation, I taught at Woodland Hills Youth Development Center, which consist of young people incarcerated for various crimes. Following that job experience, I was hired at the Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center as a therapist on the Children, Youth, and Family Services unit. I participated in trainings locally and in several other states which allowed me to hone my skills.
I was able to utilize more of my skills when I transitioned to the YMCA of Middle Tennessee department of Urban Services. We operated “boot camps” in Smyrna during the summer at the Tennessee National Guard base and provided programs in elementary, middle, and high schools during the fall, winter, and spring. I was given the autonomy to create, and we provided Saturday Night at the YMCA. We were able to bring together urban, suburban, and rural teens to engage in conversation as well as participated in fitness activities, i. e., swimming, aerobics, racquetball, volleyball, and basketball. We concluded the evening with a feast before being dismissed to go home. Why We Can’t Wait, Inc., was created in 2009, beginning with a summer enrichment program — CCM Leadership Academy. We have grown since then and now offer afterschool programs, experience work, summer jobs program, weekend programs, school, and our very own scholarship for 10 teens annually.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has not been smooth, politics, funding, gate keepers, and trying to fulfill needs with little resources has been a big challenge. However, as we grow, the challenge is finding staff that have the heart for young people so that we can continue to expand.
As you know, we’re big fans of Why We Can’t Wait, Inc.. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Vision: Why We Can’t Wait is committed to partnering with organizations and entities that support youth development, education, and safety. We are driven by a deep passion to shift mindsets and address the challenges that young people and their families face both within their households and communities.
Mission: We empower youth in underserved communities and strengthen the families around them. Our holistic programs improve health, safety, and home dynamics so young people can grow into productive citizens.
Why We Can’t Wait, Inc., serves youth and families in underserved communities. The target population resides in government subsidized housing and housing projects around the city. The environments have very few role models and violence, open-air drug sales plague the communities. 92% of the participants in our programs reside in female headed households and incomes fall at or below the poverty level. The goal of our organization is to prep youth for academic success while developing them physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally as leaders.
Why We Can’t Wait, Inc. is a 501 c (3) nonprofit agency with eight major programs: WWCW Afterschool Academy, WWCW Ambassadors, WWCW South, WWCW Boys to men/ Girls to women Rosebuds, WWCW RISE UP for girls, Cultivating Character in Millennials (CCM) Leadership Academy, WWCW BASIS (Juvenile Detention program) and Career Applications Regarding Students (C.A.R.S) summer job program for teens (see wwcwnash.com). Why We Can’t Wait, Inc. also follows and tracts the students in our programs during the school year. Our motto, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” We believe whole heartly in the statement by Nelson Mandela “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world.”
What matters most to you?
The plight of underserved communities and the families that reside in them matter because the playfield of life is unbalanced. In order to balance it in some fashion, Why We Can’t Wait, Inc., enhances education, engages the family in mental health awareness/wellness, fitness activities/ emotional support, and exposure to aesthetic experiences. The reason it matters is because I walked in their shoes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wwcwnash.com/
- Instagram: @wwcw_nashville
- Facebook: https://wwcwnash.com/Facebook
- Twitter: @wwcw_nashville
