01A suit and a tie
A young man landed a scholarship interview but had nothing to wear. RROPI got him fitted, and Michael personally taught him to tie a tie.
Dollar for Scholars: more than a suit.
When a young man in our community landed a scholarship interview, he had the drive, the grades, and the determination to walk into that room and win. What he did not have was a suit.
RROPI showed up. We took him shopping, got him fitted head to toe in professional attire, and made sure he looked the part of the young man he already was on the inside.
But Michael Rascoe did not stop there. He sat with him and taught him how to tie a tie. Not because it was part of the program. Because it was the kind of thing a father figure does. The kind of thing nobody had ever done for Michael when he was that age.
After the outing, Michael handed him $200 with one instruction. Take your mom and your sister out to a nice steak dinner. Thank them for every sacrifice they made, every late night they worked, every time they chose you over themselves. Because the people who show up for you deserve to be celebrated too.
That is the RROPI difference. We do not just dress youth for the moment. We show up for the whole person, the whole family, and the whole future.
What happens when someone shows up.
These are not statistics. These are real young people whose lives changed because someone showed up at the right moment.
01
02She went to prom
For the first time, a young girl in a group home felt like every other teenager in her school because RROPI paid for her ticket, dress, and corsage.
03Behind the wheel
A youth aging out of care needed a driver’s license for work. RROPI covered the permit fees and insurance so he could move forward.
04First day, best dressed
RROPI took a group of foster youth back to school shopping, head to toe, so they started the year feeling confident and ready.
“The suit was more than a gift, it was an investment in my future.”
Kyzshion CalixteBiology major, Lincoln University
My encounter with the rite of passage has been nothing short of a blessing. I am Kyzshion Calixte now a biology major at Lincoln University. It all started with my academic consultant Ms Sherry Washington. As I was working on my college acceptances and scholarship funding she helped me to prepare for things like interviews and different awards. In the midst of these preparations I was introduced to Mr. Michael Rascoe, my now mentor. My life has not been an easy street to success. I am still actively in poverty. Mr Rascoe gave no second thought in helping me to prepare for success in my road.
The day I met Mr Rascoe he took me to the mall to buy a suit then taught me to tie a tie. This was very special for me as I grew up without a father figure meaning this was new to me. On this day Mr Rascoe had helped me to understand some new things. Firstly, kindness goes a long way. He then told me that the suit was more than a gift, it was an investment in my future. The next day I had an interview for a 40,000 dollar scholarship. I secured the scholarship over some of the top students in my class. When I informed Mr Rascoe of the success he awarded me and my family dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. This suit is not the reason I succeed but the guidance and reassurance in my steps are.
Mr Rascoe did not only stop investing in my life with a suit. I am now a student in college and I’m going into my sophomore year. Before my freshman year started I decided to cut hair for money to support myself independently. I developed a clean and promising skill set and developed a solid portfolio of my best work. When I returned home from Christmas break I was struggling to find clientele and a way to make money so I decided to look into taking barbering more seriously. I reached out to my mentor to ask him if he knew how I could expand on my passion and he helped me to secure a solid apprenticeship where I am learning to perfect my craft. This helped me to develop my skills further and set me on the right track to be licensed in the long run.
Every dollar you give goes directly to a child.
There are no administrative fees taken from your donation. No institutional layers between your generosity and the child who needs it. When you give to RROPI, a real kid feels the difference immediately.