A Put Me In! Update From Khalid Cannon
Put Me In! dismantles opportunity barriers in youth sports for children of incarcerated parents. This post shares an update from our President and Chief Program Officer, Khalid Cannon.
Warm summer greetings from me, Khalid Cannon, and the entire Put Me In! team!
Thanks to your support, 2024 has been an exceptional year for Put Me In!
We are thrilled to share an exciting update with you.
Stories of Transformation
We are witnessing incredible results, with many heartwarming stories highlighting the positive changes in our participants' lives. One indicator of the quality of our program is the evangelism of a father at North Kent State Prison. He is so thankful for our impact on his child's life that he has promoted us to the other men in his facility. This led to the enrollment of three additional families, further demonstrating the ripple effects of our work.
Creating Opportunities for Children of Incarcerated Parents: Rodney’s Journey
An exciting story to share is about Rodney, one of our first enrolled kids in early 2021.
He’s just graduated from 8th grade and was recently accepted into an elite private high school in San Francisco on full scholarship and intends to fully participate in high school athletics.
How did Put Me In! contribute to his journey of ambition and hope?
Put Me In!’s funding was initially used to place him on his first travel soccer team. Even though Rodney was a gifted multi-sport athlete, due to the financial constraints of his household, he was previously restricted to local “parks and rec” leagues. As fate would have it, his teammates on that 5th-grade travel team all attended a private middle school for boys in San Francisco, and this helped light a competitive fire for academic excellence in middle school.
Last year, Rodney was enrolled in a national program for academically gifted children of disadvantaged backgrounds interested in private school opportunities, which helped him and his mother through the application process.
Something we’ve observed quite a bit at Put Me In! are the “snowball effects” from participation in youth sports, and this is a great example of how investments in youth sports compound.
Aulani’s Second Junior Olympics!
Aulani, another member of our original cohort, recently qualified for her second Junior Olympics and will be competing in College Station, TX at the end of July. We are so unbelievably proud of the hard work and dedication that Aulani has put in on the track and the classroom: she is a straight-A student.
We’re all cheering for Aulani! A huge thank you to Gabby Thomas for her video of encouragement to Aulani and her incredible support of our program.
Hear Directly from Mothers of Put Me In!’s Athletes
Here are some anonymous quotes from mothers that I believe capture the profound impacts we are creating through bringing youth sports to children of incarcerated parents:
“My son used to struggle with self-esteem issues, feeling like he didn't quite fit in anywhere. But since joining his baseball team through Put Me In!, it's like he's found his second family. The change in him is night and day – he's more outgoing, eager to help out, and his grades have even improved."
“PMI has helped my son by believing in him, and then following through by supporting his decisions in whatever sports he plays. Sometimes, words aren't enough to explain the tremendous amount of gratitude I, as a parent, have for PMI's support and encouragement for my son. Thank you, PMI!"
“Seeing my daughter take the field, her face lighting up, was a moment I'll never forget."
“I love getting to watch my children blossom into these strong-minded independent kids who have a passion for sports and a sense of how important representation matters. Whether it is in sports or anything, our kids know how important they are to their family, to their team, to their community, and to organizations like Put Me In.”
Matt and I have so many other great stories and testimonies from our work. If you want to hear more about our progress or want a few inspiring stories to brighten your week, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm always happy to schedule a Zoom call to share more about our work.
Our Growing Impact
Enrollment Success: We've enrolled 30 new children this year, bringing our total to 80 kids across 12 states. Our software underpins our scalability and streamlines all aspects of our program execution. We still have 20 spots to fill in our 2024 cohort, which are reserved for children in our referral partners' summer programming, so we expect those to be filled within the next couple of weeks.
Milestone Achievements: We celebrated our first two high school graduates from our original 2021 cohort. We are so proud to announce that both young women are heading to college this fall! Mahliyah was one of our interns this fall. If you missed her blog series, I highly recommend reading some of her writing.
We are focusing on building our team to meet the growing demand and scale our impact. We have initiated the search for a full-time Development Director to lead our fundraising efforts, ensuring we can continue to provide access to sports for children who need it most.
Please Share Our Impact With Your Network!
As we continue to grow, we would greatly appreciate your help in sharing our impact! If there is anyone in your network who may be interested in learning about our work – whether they are potential donors, partners, or advocates, your introductions can help us reach more children and amplify our impact.
Thank you for being an integral part of our journey. Your support has been crucial in making a real difference in the lives of children with incarcerated parents. Together, we are building something extraordinary.
Best,
President & Chief Program Officer, Put Me In!
Increasing access to sports for children of incarcerated parents.
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