INDIANAPOLIS — Seventy-five boys ages eight to 18 stand at attention at the command of Reverend Malachi Walker in the basement of Great Commission Church of God.
Young Men Inc. welcomed several new campers Tuesday to the first day of its 29th summer empowerment camp. The camp uses military-style discipline to help boys find hope and success as an alternative to the gun violence among their peers.
“I was scared,” said 11-year-old Teylor Foster, a new camper. “I was, but now that I've been here a little bit it's kind of fun. They want us to learn how to respect elders and respect people."
Thirteen-year-old Peyton Throop, another new camper, welcomes the strict discipline.
"Because I used to be a troublemaker at home,” said Throop. “I did bad things at school. And then I decided I'd change things and flip it around."
Day one of camp included a visit from Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.
"You are going to learn so much about respect for each other, respect for your city, and those who inhabit it,” Hogsett told the boys. “You're going to learn skills about conflict resolution and how to get along. You’re going to talk about making our community safer.”
The summer camp runs through August 6 and will meet on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and some Wednesdays. Development workshops conflict resolution, personal development, health and fitness, career development, cultural awareness, self-discipline and self-respect. The camp also includes structured recreation and field trips.
The mission of Young Men Inc. is to help at-risk boys grow mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually to develop a belief in their ability to achieve with a positive future.
Sixteen-year-old Messiah Belton is now a camp counselor after eight summers in the program.
"I think it's so successful because there are a lot of struggles in the inner city and a lot of things that happen in the inner city to where this program helps a lot, almost as a father figure,” said Belton.