Growing up in a single parent home can be tough, especially for young men without father figures. Rising Son Ministries is filling this gap through their Operation Global Impact program by providing mentoring and opportunities to engage in activities to develop young boys into men. Thanks to a Jackson EMC Foundation grant, the organization received $6,000 to go toward outings, materials, apparel and newsletter production.

The impact of Rising Son is in the number of testimonials the organization receives. Single moms share their stories about how this program has touched their sons' lives by providing the father figure that even a mother's strongest love can't provide. "Rising Son Ministries has been a blessing to our family since I am a single mom. We find it difficult sometimes because no matter how good of a mom you can be, you can never be the dad," M. Schultz, parent of Rising Son participant.

M. Archer, a single mom, believes the program has changed her two sons' lives as well. "My 12-year-old son has participated in the program for about six months. When he comes home, he shares what he's learned with his 8-year-old brother. I've seen a great change in both of them. We really need more strong, spiritual men who are willing to take a stand and help raise up strong young men. I feel like if it was not for the ministry being there for Austin, he would not have been able to come out of some of the situations that he has been through as strong as he has. With the help of the Rising Sons Ministry, I'm positive that there will be great young men brought up in the world."

Rising Son is located in Gainesville, Ga., and serves young men ages 12 and up. "Our ministry is about mentoring and building relationships, and this grant helps ensure we carry out our mission of developing boys into men," says Todd Ketner, Rising Son president. For more information about the organization, please visit http://www.risingsonministries.com.