By: Dylan Francis, Follow South Jersey Intern
CAMDEN, N.J. — B.O.S.S. Mentoring is a Camden-based non-profit organization that helps young men, ages 8-18, develop their life skills, give mentorship, and obtain all the necessities needed to succeed in life.
The organization’s founders, Yaniece Spencer and Rafiah Hickson, are both from the City of Camden. They went to school together and always had a special connection to Camden.
“We went to school for social work, and through our education and personal experiences, we saw how much support was missing for our youth—especially young men,” Yaniece Spencer, co-founder of B.O.S.S. Mentoring, said. “We wanted to create something that would truly make a difference. That’s what inspired us to start BOSS Mentoring. We knew we wanted to build a program rooted in mentorship, life skills, and love—something that could empower boys to grow into strong, successful young men. Starting it here in South Jersey, in the community that raised us, just made sense.”
Spencer has faced her fair share of challenges throughout her time in business. Some of these include accessing funding and retaining male mentors for the young men. These young men need to see strong, positive male role models to be encouraged to improve themselves.
“We’ve worked hard to build a culture where mentorship feels like family, and we’ve leaned into partnerships, outreach, and word of mouth to bring in men who truly want to make a difference. It’s an ongoing process, but we’re proud of the team we’ve built and continue to grow,” Spencer said.
Another challenge Spencer faces is continuing the program during the pandemic. Because all of their programs were in person, a huge adjustment period was needed during COVID-19.
“We had to figure out how to stay connected to our youth virtually, deliver care packages, and provide emotional support during a tough time. That experience forced us to be more creative and flexible, and it taught us the value of adaptability. It was a difficult moment, but it pushed us to expand how we engage and support our families,” Spencer said.
Spencer hopes to make a substantial impact on the Camden community and its youth. More importantly, she wants to grow B.O.S.S. into an organization that supports families. She wants to create change by using all its resources to empower the youth through their teenage and adolescent years. When these youth grow up, they will continue to support the community and give back to future generations, thus hoping to create an endless cycle of support.
The narrative that you can’t make an impact if you don’t have a huge platform in your city, county, state, or country is a notion that Spencer is trying to accomplish with B.O.S.S. Mentoring.
“People often assume small businesses—especially nonprofits—don’t have the power to make a big impact. That’s just not true,” Spencer said. “We’ve taken youth from Camden to places like Ecuador and Thailand and Africa on the horizon. We’ve helped students get into college, find their voice, and dream bigger. We challenge that misconception by staying consistent, showing results, and proving that a small business rooted in purpose can do big things.”
For more information about B.O.S.S. Mentoring, visit their website by clicking here.
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