Deidre Mitchell is the proud mother of four strapping young men; Taugh, 7, Jaylin, 10, Denzel, 15, and Marvin, 17. She moved to Brightmoor four and a half years ago and joined our City Mission family.
“I feel like City Mission was sent from heaven to save my life,” Deidre said. “They helped me put my life in order.
When we first met Deidre, she wasn’t sure if she could trust us. “I use to always ask questions,” she said. But she soon warmed up to her neighbors, and City Mission staff members, Jeff and Dana Adams. Dana is the lead educator at City Mission Academy and Jeff works in development.
“Ms. Dana use to come to my house and talk with me about my kids,” Deidre said. “They were learning so much from tutoring that I thought, ‘they might as well go to City Mission Academy.’”
At the time, Deidre’s son Jaylin was struggling at the neighborhood school he attended.
“He came in with a lot of anger issues,” Dana said. The anger got him into fights and the fights got him sent home 3 to 6 times a week at his old school. Then Deidre enrolled him in City Mission Academy. Everyone could see the difference in his behavior.
“He became a new Jaylin,” Deidre said “less anger, less fights.” The Adams invited Jaylin and his younger brother, Taugh, over their home weekly for dinner and tutoring. “They love Mr. Jeff,” she said.
Jaylin’s grades began to improve too. “He’s doing much better in his math and reading,” said Bethany Orr, Jaylin’s third-fourth grade teacher at City Mission Academy. “He’s come a long way,” she said.
Deidre said all of her boys love City Mission. The two youngest attend the school and receive tutoring; the older two are in mentoring.
“City Mission is a lifesaver. They taught me more responsibility,” she said. “A lot of families don’t focus on their kids. City Mission taught me to spend quality time with my boys. To me, I have an extended family; that’s a good thing for me.”
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