Celebrating 10 Years!

V E N T U R E S
LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION

www.urbanventures.org A Periodic Briefing on What's Happened and What's Coming

Annual Report 10 years wear well

Spring 2OO3
Volume Nine, Number One
on tailor's family
Inside:

W
hen Uncle Frankie curls up on the couch to rerun life's top
tales, no kid in his right mind would miss it. In fact, the story of
his misadventures beats most Hollywood movies by one simple
fact: it's true.
^BBik' M
Telling the unvarnished story of his gang-related family's tragedies,
triumphs and comeback is the best way we know to both celebrate and
illustrate the role Urban Ventures Leadership Foundation has tried to play
in the Central and Phillips neighborhood for 10 years.
A rural Arkansas native, Frankie grew up milking cows, shoveling
manure, and embalming cadavers. Well ... his dad did the embalming, but
he watched, and dug his share of graves. "It scared me half to death," he says.
Certain stories come out after the kids are in bed, such as ones about life
as a drug addict; or the escape from prison with 21 female convicts in a
stolen school bus; or when he had a business sewing G-strings for strippers.
"One foot of fabric went a long way!" says Frankie, sheepishly.
In 1979, a woman named Velma, who grew up the youngest of 13
children only 30 miles from Frankie's home town, moved to 37th Street and
Portland, only one block from where his parents' settled in south
Minneapolis and seven blocks from Urban Ventures.
"It was love at first sight," says Frankie. But Velma
The community
kept her distance. She could see Frankie needed
"sounds off coaxing off of life's fast track. And she
re: 10 years of change put down her foot, setting a
condition for their friendship:
choose her or the striptease
business. One would have to
go. He chose Velma.
Thanks
to our contributors! Continued on page 10

A solid board launches

10 more years
Frankie and Velma Tyson have weathered many rocky roads
to become pillars of strength in the Central Neighborhood.
Couple shuns the dark side, builds a family
Most non-profits have a "poster child" to
launch new efforts and show the community their
potential to bring life transformation. "I'm learning that friends
Urban Ventures told the story of Frankie's "turn that gang bang, take cars and
around" 10 years ago in one of its first videos. But not
snatch purses are not the kind of friends
until we interviewed Frankie with his wife and
children recently did we fully appreciate the extent I want," says Demetrius
of the whole family's comeback. (far right in photo below).
By 1989, Frankie and Velma were raising four _^^^___^^_
children, sharing the most stable life either of
them had experienced — except for one thing. Crack cocaine had become delivery, call 612-227-6955) "He
irresistible within their circle of friends. went from sewing G-strings to
Soon Frankie and Velma were heavy addicts, selling their kids' food and stitching love seats," says Ralph,
clothes for another "hit." Failed promises to pay dealers led to a visit from loan "restoring the antique leather couch
sharks and Frankie looking down the barrel of a gun. He narrowly escaped. that sits in Art's (Urban Ventures'
President's) office to this day."

sI
Mission 1: Creating meaningful work
JLTJLJLOl

oon after Urban Ventures opened in 1993, staff members heard a knock Mission 2: Strengthening

s.I
on the door. It was Frankie and his children. Velma had kicked them families
lain
out of the house after a fight over crack. oon the changes in Frankie
He was greeted candidly. "You want to get off drugs?" Frankie recalls a and Velma's lives began to
staff member saying. "We're going to start a drug treatment program and you trickle down to the 12
are the first clients. Go get your wife and all of your drug paraphernalia." children, including nephews and
"Velma was hesitant, but we went and took everything with us," said nieces, to whom they have
Frankie. "They said, 'Don't lie. Tell God you like it, but you're through. Tell provided a place of stability.
him you can't quit by yourself, and to take the desire away.' On that day, the
desire for drugs was gone, and we
haven't had it since."
That was only the beginning of
a long rebuilding process.
"I had hurt my back and no one
would hire me," explains Frankie.
Urban Ventures hired him as
their first custodian, a job he still
holds today, kicking off one of our
three missions, to "create
meaningful work" in the
neighborhood.
Later, Urban Ventures' Vice
President Ralph Bruins helped
Frankie add an upholstery business.
(For an estimate, free pick up and

It doesn't take much to

bring out Frankie's
playful side.

10

Tyson's oldest daughter
Constance, 21, graduates this year
as a medical assistant.
The Tyson's oldest girl,
Constance, 21, spoke of the
changes: "We used to lie to cover up
our parents' behavior. But we can
talk to our parents now and trust
them. Now we have family times
and do things together."
The Tysons like to skate, go to
amusement parks, and are regulars
on camping trips with Urban
Ventures staff.
Urban Ventures filled a huge
gap in Frankie's parenting skills, he
says. "My fathering was no good."
When Urban Ventures' Center
for Fathering opened in 1997,
Frankie was its first participant.
"Frankie is just not the same
person he used to be," says Velma.
"He's more patient with the kids
than I am. He used to get angry and
just react. Now he talks with them
and shows them how to do things."
For example, for over 10 years
Frankie has used his work at Urban
Ventures to mentor and train eight
neighborhood kids including his
own, in building maintenance.
They all now work responsibly
without supervision.
Mission 3: Developing youth leaders
wash windows, clean bathrooms and vacuum," says Frankie's nephew
Demetrius, 13, proudly. Demetrius admits he's been tempted at times to
run with teenagers who are now in jail.
"The pressure on these kids is tremendous," says Frankie. "If you're not
in a gang, you risk becoming a victim of one."
Frankie's involvement has been critical.
"I'm learning that friends that gang bang, take cars and snatch purses are
not the kind of friends I want," says Demetrius. "I've been trying to get God
in my life and take care of my responsibilities, to pray before school and get
to class on time."
One of Urban Ventures' mottos is, "It's not about programs. It's about
relationships." The Tyson kids say these mentoring relationships have made
a difference.
"Judy (Jones) is always there
to help me out," says Constance.
"The challenges of life used to
overwhelm me. Judy taught me
to pray in my own room and
leave my problems with God."
Constance will soon graduate
from a technical institute as a
medical assistant. Demetrius
wants to be an auto mechanic.
He practices repair by working on
videos, radios and VCR's donated
to People's Exchange.
Frankie's niece Rachel, 18,
and her brother Sam, 16, go to
Urban Ventures' computer-based
Learning Lab twice weekly to
receive academic help.
"At first I used to go to
school, play around a lot and On a break at Urban Ventures' Learning Lab,
hang out in the hallways," says Rachel hones her hairdressing skills,
Sam. "But ever since I came to practicing on her brother Sam.
the Lab, they've been keepin' in
touch with my teachers, so now I've been in class trying to do my work."
"Urban Ventures is a place that sees potential in kids everyone else has
given up on," says Frankie. "Like Velma saw potential in me."
(See an expanded version of this story at www.urbanventures.org)
"We used to lie to cover up our parents'
behavior. But we can talk to our parents now
and trust them. Now we have family times
and do things together," says Constance.