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- Post-Gazette, 7:45 PM 5/3/2006
George Spencer is looking for a few good men. And then a few more.[]
The 50-year-old mail handler is the president of the newly-formed Greater Pittsburgh chapter of MAD DADS, a group originally formed in Omaha in 1989 as a way for men to confront the issues of drugs, crime, etc. that plague many inner-city communities.
"I had concerns about things starting to go on with the oncoming generation in my family," Mr. Spencer said. Upon reading Jawanza Kunjufu's book, "Solutions for Black America," he said "I came to the conclusion that I was personally too passive about these issues."
The book mentioned MAD DADS, and after perusing its Web site, www.maddads.com, Mr. Spencer approached his pastor, Bishop Joseph Garlington of Covenant Church of Pittsburgh, about starting a local chapter. Bishop Garlington reviewed the Web site and urged Mr. Spencer to go for it.
So what exactly is MAD DADS?
The acronym stands for Men Against Destruction-Defending Against Drugs and Social-Disorder. The group's Web site contains the following mission statement:
" ... to bring about positive change. MAD DADS seek out, encourage, motivate and guide committed men in the struggle to save children, communities, and ourselves from the social ills that presently plague neighborhoods.
MAD DADS employ strategies to engage men in the intervention and prevention of community problems, and is designed to attract, challenge, and prepare men to be vocal, visible, and vigilant in restoring safe communities and healthy families."
The primary strategy employed by MAD DADS is simplicity itself. They walk the streets, uniformed in green polo shirts and black caps. They call it street patrol; you can also think of it as management by walking around. As described by their guidelines, it is a friendly activity -- "We approach community youth with a smile and a kind word, whether they speak to us or not" -- that also performs a small, but critical function for law enforcement. "We will expose a drug deal or a crack house to the proper authorities."
"I like the approach that they use," Mr. Spencer said. "It's not a vigilante-type thing; it's not about going out here and cracking anybody's head. It's 'let's get together and walk the community and get to know the young people' ... and everybody, for that matter."
Mr. Spencer, who lives in Wilkinsburg, has garnered the support of Mayor John A. Thompson, who sent out a letter encouraging people to attend one of three meetings being held this week to put flesh on the skeleton of the local MAD DADS chapter.
There will be two meetings -- one today at Hosanna House, 807 Wallace Ave., Wilkinsburg, from 3 to 4 p.m. It will be geared toward public officials, law enforcement personnel, and businesspeople. For the second, from 7 to 8 p.m., clergy and community leaders are especially invited.
Every man with a pulse and a decent heart is invited to the last meeting, to formally launch the organization, on Saturday from 3 to 4:40 p.m. at Bethesda Presbyterian Church, 7220 Bennett St. in Homewood. This meeting will provide the "basic training" for men, dads or not, who want to participate.
The use of Bethesda as a meeting place exemplifies the power of connection. To help with the legalities of establishing a nonprofit corporation, Mr. Spencer called on attorney Jay Gilmer, who works for FaithWorks.
FaithWorks is part of the Concerned Citizens Community Creation Center, a social services ministry of Nazarene Baptist Church .
Bethesda's pastor, the Rev. Eugene Blackwell, happened to hear about MAD DADS during a visit to Florida, got excited, and upon his return, approached Mr. Gilmer for assistance on the legalities of establishing a chapter. Mr. Gilmer put Mr. Spencer and the Rev. Blackwell together, and boom. What might have been the Wilkinsburg chapter is the Greater Pittsburgh chapter, and the launch meeting is at Bethesda.
Need more info? Call George Spencer at 412 371 9188, or drop him an email at gcspencer_sr@hotmail.com.