Non-profit provides hope and opportunity for young men in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It has been five years since an army sergeant from Memphis was shot and killed while trying to break up a fight in Oklahoma. Now, his mother is trying to help other young men find a positive purpose in life.

Machelle Pugh created the Christopher A. Pugh Center in honor of her son. The organization is a non-profit that empowers males through workforce development and career preparation services.

“Christopher was 23 when I lost him. He was active duty military. Even at 23, he had made sergeant,” said Machelle. “He loved music. He loved dressing. He loved cooking. So yeah, every aspect of this building, all of our programs represent my son.”

Since Christopher loved music, CPC Center offers a film and production program.

“They do film and production, they do podcasting. They learn how to edit film,” said Machelle.

They also help dress teens and men.

“When they come in, we make sure that they are dressed to the T. Everybody is fitted. We fit them because a lot of the young guys don’t know what size they are because they’ve never had a suit before,” said volunteer Joyce Williams.

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Seventeen-year-old Finis Robinson, a junior at Compass Midtown, was fitted for his first suit.

“It made me feel like a different person. Because the mind state that I was in, I couldn’t help but feel like a different person,” he said.

Finis took part in their need assessment classes that help process emotions and develop coping strategies.

“It helped me mentally a lot. I was stuck in a place where I couldn’t get out of. I had to realize that I have more to live for,” said Finis.

That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Mid-South Genesis CDC donated $1,000 to the Christopher A. Pugh Center. Because of this, a heartbreaking tragedy can turn into empowerment.

If you would like to learn more about the Christopher A. Pugh Center, click here.

If you know a group making a difference in our community and wish to nominate them, click here.

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