MY BROTHER’S WORKSHOP
Our Local Partner Picks Up The Pieces
September 23, 2018
“The whole island was affected [by the hurricanes], so the people our students are helping are their families, friends, and neighbors.”
All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response works with local partners wherever possible and the US Virgin Islands is no exception. Our special partner there is My Brother’s Workshop, a local skills training non-profit that mentors high-risk and at-risk youths. Together, we have been helping survivors of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
THE FOUNDER
“We’re usually in the top 5% for youth homicides per capita. At a point I decided it was time to do something about it.”
Scott Bradley co-created My Brother’s Workshop as a way to help young people. Bradley ran the organization first out of an old jeep and expanded it over the past eleven years to four facilities, three on-site construction teams, and a vocational training school.
My Brother’s Workshop not only offers skills training, but also offers educational support to help students get their high school diplomas.
To date, over 1,500 individuals have gone through the program and many current participants are working on hurricane recovery projects.
A LOCAL PARTNERSHIP
My Brothers Workshop has been working with All Hands and Hearts since the beginning of our hurricane recovery work on St. Thomas. Sharing resources and knowledge, both organizations worked together to rebuild a local daycare and are currently working on repairing a home for a local resident.
FROM THE WORKSITE
Site Supervisor and teacher, Ray Rogers, leads a team of students to do a range of recovery work like emergency repair, cleanup, minor repair, painting, and any tasks to get people back into their homes. Other teams work on debris removal and roofing tasks.
“We want to give our students real life expectations and knowledge, in order to stay safe.”
RECOVERING THE ISLAND
As the My Brother’s Workshop continues to hire more skilled trainers the projects will expand. By assisting local partners like My Brother’s Workshop, we can work together to help survivors of natural disasters get the help they need.
Together, we look forward to carrying out a long-term, community-driven approach to disaster relief in the US Virgin Islands. To learn more about how to support our programs, you can visit our website.
FOOTNOTES
Story and Photography by Miles Phillips for All Hands and Hearts
St. Thomas, USVI
