Who we are
In a day where more black males are going to prison than college, our nation faces a crisis that only a few dare to challenge and even fewer experience any success. Billions of dollars and massive programs have barely made a dent in the problem. Crime, illiteracy, teen pregnancy and drug abuse hold the lives millions of young men captive in most if not all of the major cities of America.
Birmingham is sadly, no different.
However, despite what we see and read in the news all is not lost. In almost every city there are people who are quietly and effectively making a difference. Not with huge dollars, political support or fanfare, but one life at a time. One such ministry is right here in Birmingham: Fit for Life.
The founder and Director of Fit for Life is Terrell Kennedy. Terrell is one of those unique individuals who believes that “well done is better than well said”. Despite facing the same challenges growing up that have ruined many lives, Terrell credits the grace of God for his successful family and career. In 2005, Terrell started Fit for Life as a way to give back to the community and bring hope to an area where hopelessness often reigns.
What we do
Fit for Life (FFL) is a male-run after school tutoring program for adolescent males. The three areas of focus of FFL include tutoring in algebra, financial literacy and character development.
The idea for the FFL program is rooted in the experiences of Terrell Kennedy, a former financial insurance advisor and former director of stewardship of a church. As a financial advisor, Mr. Kennedy worked with many families (the males in particular) who were unsuccessful financially in part because of their limited knowledge of financial principles. As a teacher of stewardship, Mr. Kennedy teaches biblical principles of finance and finds that even people with very little knowledge of finance can understand the biblical financial principles.
How can you get involved?
However, the need argued that the primary outcomes of the Fit for Life program were likely to occur in the future and not during high school. The high school’s immediate need was tutoring in algebra. Algebraic thinking provides practice for logical thinking, reasoning, and math skills. All of which are the underpinnings of biblical- financial principles. Fit for Life, therefore, included algebra in its curriculum.
As a result, Fit for Life has emerged as a tri focused program comprising biblical, algebraic, and financial principles, serving as a mentoring framework for male adolescents in high schools.
Mr. Kennedy raises funds for the program through individual Christian donors committed to assisting adolescent males lead upright and financially savvy adult lives. Part of the funds are paid to participants as a weekly stipend.
