What
WE DO
The mission of Rupert’s Kids is to empower our participants to
discover their inner strengths, realize their own self-worth and
recognize their value to society.
June 27, 2019
I have shown for 25 years how you take a person who has only been trained to hold their hand out and teach them… empower them.. show them that they have that energy and ability to take care of themselves. There is no one out there who can’t go to work.
Taking young men and women, that have never been shown how to make a legal living and raising them… by the time they are 20 or 30 years old, do you really think they’re ever going to get it? No… they’re going, for the rest of their life’s, to be holding their hand out… we’re creating a giant problem.
We need to empower, instead of beat down and punish… educate and train instead of belittle and degrade. Create a system that doesn’t class people as expendable. Right now, we do deem the bottom 20% of our society as expendable… it’s always been that way… it’s disgusting… those are the ones who need us the most… they are the ones that cost us the most money by having to provide for them when they don’t work… they’re the ones that could help us most… they are an underutilized resource.
We’ve ran 19 young people through our empower and re-entry program… every one of them was on the path to become career criminals, that would have cost us $40,000 to $50,000 a year in a small community, $70,000 to $80,000 a year in a larger community to lock them up… and all that gets us is the ability to spend that or more next year.
Rupert’s Kids spends $5,000 to $10,000 per person, empowering and teaching that person to take care of themselves and save our communities $30,000 to $70,000 a year, and fill that person with self-worth and work-ethics that help keep them from committing further crimes.
Words from Rupert:
Rupert's Kids Particpant
"I found Rupert's Kids through Community Service. I'm on house arrest for driving without a license. Rupert was the only one who would give me a chance. I like what he is trying to do, so decided to stay, because I also like helping people."
This participant has been with us for just over 2 months. In that amount of time, he has proven himself to be reliable and an independent worker. He is quickly becoming a leader able to help guide the work crew.
Rupert's Kids Particpant
“When I was released from jail in November, I looked for a job with no success. I came to Rupert in March. He is helping me get back on my feet.”
This participant was charged with possession of meth and has been clean for over a year. A friend referred him to Rupert's Kids. He has been with us for 4 months. He recently got married and has just found a house to rent.
Rupert's Kids Particpant
“I wasn't doing anything, except staying in my room. Rupert helped me get out to do more things and now I feel more involved in the community.”