| Program: | Men Against Destruction - Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder Inc., Omaha, NE | | Contact(s): | Eddie Staton, National President: (402) 451-3500 | | Purpose: | To increase opportunities for youth of all races by providing mentoring, intergroup dialogues and cooperative community-service projects | | Background Men Against Destruction - Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder (MAD DADS) was founded in 1989 when John Foster, a father from Omaha, learned that his son had been attacked by gang members from the city. Along with 18 other African American men in the neighborhood who were also concerned about the well-being of young people in their community, Foster created MAD DADS. The men soon realized that the problem of at-risk youth was not just the concern of one racial or ethnic group, but was the concern of all racial and ethnic groups. Program Operations
The MAD DADS signature program is Street Patrol, which involves men and women paroling the streets of various neighborhoods to seek out unsupervised youth of all races. When they find unsupervised youth, the adults invite them to participate in a variety of MAD DADS programs, including mentoring, rites of passage programs and intercultural youth exchanges. MAD DADS also operates other programs, such as juvenile diversion programs, block parties and graffiti clean-ups. Outcomes and Significant Accomplishments The initial success of MAD DADS in Omaha has caused other communities around the nation to replicate it. Currently, MAD DADS has 52 chapters in 15 states. |
