As a 19-year-old young man seeking a better life, Kareem Hines, could not imagine he would be a father figure to hundreds of youth in the Indianapolis area by age 43.
Hines, who founded the nonprofit New Breed of Youth (New B.O.Y.), said one of the biggest lessons he has learned is it truly does “take a village to raise a child.”New B.O.Y. is a financial literacy, mentoring and youth development program that focuses on keeping boys out of the juvenile justice system.
“You have to be relatable and understanding of youth culture and be able to adapt.” Hines said.
As a native of Harlem, New York, Hines was raised by a single father. In his spare time, he volunteered at the YMCA as a way to keep out of trouble. While there he met Damon Donaldson, who later became his mentor. When Donaldson transferred to the Fall Creek YMCA in Indianapolis, he asked Hines if he wanted to experience the slower pace of Indianapolis and move for the summer.
Hines accepted the offer and immediately began working as a swim instructor and youth director at the Fall Creek branch. Through the connections he made and his love for his job, he decided to remain in Indianapolis.
To increase his income, Hines began working for a bank and brokerage firm and later had jobs as a financial specialist and broker. But something was missing.
“That wasn’t my passion,” said Hines, who uses his past experiences to mentor youth.
Through his experience at the YMCA, Hines discovered working with youth was his calling. He left the financial field and became a certified youth mentor, working with local schools to positively affect youth behavior.
Hines eventually met his wife, Chrystal, founder of youth-development program Inner Beauty, Inc. Through Chrystal’s influence, Hines decided to take his mentorship to the next level and started New B.O.Y. in 2005. Both programs are now operating full time.
“We are not going to be able to save everybody, but if some of the things we do can save one, then our job is successful,” Hines said. “We can’t take it personal if we don’t see the change in real time. Once we plant seeds, we have to allow for those seeds to develop.”
Hines learned his philosophy on life from his father. His father, Kenneth, is a man who didn’t restrict the number of positive influences in his children’s lives.
“One of the things that my father did was not limit it to just his presence in my life,” Hines said. “He didn’t feel threatened by other male influences. When you allow other influences, it helps reinforce what you’re teaching them just from a different perspective. It really does take a village.”
Bwana Clements, social worker and president of social service agency Urban Ministry, said Hines, who is a father of five, constantly acts as a father figure to non-biological children and welcomes additional father figures into the lives of his biological children.
“It’s one thing to allow someone to have a relationship with your kids,” Clements said. It’s another thing to seek out those positive relationships for his kids and the kids he serves.”
When it comes to parenting his children, Hines loves being a hands-on dad and believes that he and Chrystal should expose their own children to as much as they can beyond their own community.
“He says daily affirmations to the kids before they leave for school reciting: ‘I am strong. I am intelligent. I am a leader,’” Chrystal said. “For our girls he adds ‘and I am beautiful.’”
Ariyan Hines, Hines’ 20-year-old daughter said that her father’s ways of teaching lessons were unorthodox, but he allowed her to figure things out on her own. For example, Ariyan devised her own way to tie shoes. Although it wasn’t the way he taught her, Hines let her do it her way. It taught her to be an independent thinker.
“My dad found ways to connect with his first teenage daughter,” Ariyan said. “He was the first man I ever fell in love with, who made me think he could walk on water and could do no wrong. He showed me that nobody is perfect… but most importantly, he taught me that it’s OK to be different.”
Hines’ profession is proof positive of his belief that fatherhood is being a role model and being consistent in your message.
“As a professional, African-American man, Kareem needs to be duplicated throughout our community. Clements said. “He is a solid African-American male (in) that he would rather stay in the community and build it, then to build and leave.”
Contact staff writer Loren Dent at 317-762-7853
Kareem Hines, pictured with his wife, Chrystal, and their children started the non-profit New Breed of Youth (New B.O.Y.).
