Michael D. Moore & Friends
I get by with a little help from my friends.
-The Beatles
Michael D. Moore is not new to being known for doing wonderful things in the Houston and Prairie View community. His goal is help young men and others see that the realization of their dreams is possible. He's a perfect example. As a native Houstonian that grew up in poverty-challenged communities, he found a way to turn it around. Moore has developed a formula to facilitate the progressive revitalization of a community, and that change includes the cooperative utilization of social media friends. There is power in friendship! He says, "All I want to do is give those individuals from where I came from the same information that got me out."
Where Michael D. Moore and Friends Began
Moore was helping people in the community during Covid-19. He donated $1200 worth of groceries at a local grocery store. He shared the experience on Facebook where he has over 7,000 friends and followers, and they also started donating money to the cause. He ended up raising $6,000 to give people in the form of $25 gift certificates! He felt good, knowing that everybody came together and made it happen for several families who were struggling during the pandemic. It wasn't hard when another opportunity presented itself to do the same thing for a group of local boys who wanted to go to football camp. He decided to sponsor ten boys (Kings) and he presented the challenge again on Facebook. Before you know it, 110 additional sponsorships were raised for deserving youth! It was such a rewarding experience that he decided to form a nonprofit, Michael D. Moore and Friends.
Moore says,"Because it was such a beautiful thing, not only did we send kids to camp, but I paid out of my pocket to have two charter buses escorted by two police officers on motorcycles to take the boys to the university. I wanted to do that because I wanted to change their reality. I really wanted them to get a feel for what it felt like to be important. I wanted them to experience all the bells and whistles that college and NFL players experience."
Michael Moore decided to take a leap of faith and coordinated everything; from organizing the boys, getting their shirt sizes and ordering t-shirts, renting the buses and coordinating the pick-up and drop-off schedules, and organizing the police escort. His efforts were well received in the community. He used his efforts as a measuring tool to evaluate his capacity to pull this off. With the monetary support he got from his friends and a lot of sweat equity, this was an enormous success.
Words Michael D. Moore lives by:
Do what you can with what you got
And what you need will find you
-Michael D. Moore
Moore grew up in Third Ward, Houston, and became the "man of the house" at an early age after his parents divorced. He thought that meant making money so he started selling cans, pumping gas, or doing whatever he could to support his family. But he also remembers the help the community rendered his family, such as buying him school clothes and getting food from the food pantry. That little boy who was entrepreneurial in nature, later became a successful man and he wants to give that kind of support to the struggling families in his old community.
Our Why
Moore had this to say about his "why" for Michael D. Moore and Friends, " I feel like I have to do more and doing more is going back and reaching back into the community. Doing more in the community by starting with the kids. Letting them know that the struggle is only temporary, their time will come. We did well with our initial efforts. I want to make sure that I am able to help out others that might not be doing so well." He appreciates the friends that have stepped and helped along the way. When you are doing something of this magnitude and people step up and put their money where their mouth is, it really means a lot. He is grateful for their support, because actually if it weren't for them this wouldn't be possible. Moore relishes the beautiful feeling that you get when you help others. It's super nice when you can share that feeling with a group of your friends.
What Does the Future of Michael D. Moore and Friends Look Like?
The long term goal for Michael D. Moore and Friends is to collectively use their economic and brain power and resources to continue to serve their community by providing leadership programs for young men and supporting community building initiatives. Incorporating the friendship element brings a lot more resources to the table. Ultimately, Michael D. Moore and Friends will have a facility where they provide children and youth a place to learn social skills, the arts, how to master STEM concepts, entrepreneurship, and about health and wellness.
Upcoming Events:
May 21, 2022 - Young Man Leadership Conference
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location: Park 8 Center
8800 W Sam Houston Pkwy S Suite 107,
Houston, TX 77099
In any event that we hold, Attendees, Guest Speakers, and Volunteers can go to the Registration Page to receive up to date information and register.
Would you like to donate or provide sponsorship? Please go to our Donations and Sponsorship Page for more details.
If you have a question, please leave a message because we would love to hear from you! Thanks.
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