My City July 2021

MYCOMMUNITY

181

Movement ě̗͗ ĀϐΩΐ͜Ϙ̗ Ω͇ ĀΩϘ͜ϥ͜Х̗ Ą̗͜Δ͇Ωϐ̗̈ΐ̗Δϥ By Peter Hinterman A Flintstone through and through, LeoRobinson II grewup in the city and understands its struggles. So, after becoming a pastor while working inOaklandCounty, he knew what he had to do. “I was called home,”he says. “My heart is for Flint. Imovedmy entire family back –my wife of 17 yearsMiosha, and my five children.This kid fromFlint wants to dowhatever he can to support all of the good in the city.” Robinson is the pastor of GoodChurch located onHolbrook Ave. on Flint’s north end, and as soon as he set foot back in the city, he started addressing the needs of the people there. “We noticed that the north end residents around the churchwere struggling with food and depression during the pandemic, sowe safely opened inOctober to provide relief,” he explains. “The philosophy of the church andwhat we practice is based onGalatians 6:9 which states, ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’We are amulticultural community that looks to impact asmany as we can in the city and beyond.” While engaging with the city and the people within,Robinson made the acquaintance of Adult&TeenChallenge Flint Director, Phil Hall.Adult&TeenChallenge is a faith-based organizationwith the purpose of helping those suffering fromaddiction to turn their life around.They both spoke of the needs of young teens and adults in the city andRobinsonwas inspired. “It ledme to be proactive when it comes to teens,”Robinson states. “Howdowe help themwith all of

the difficulties they face today –mental troubles, anxiety, depression and often addiction?We felt that if they got help now, thenmaybe, they wouldn’t need Phil [Hall] later.”So, as an answer,Robinson founded 181Movement in February with the goal of helping teens move their lives in a positive direction. “We named it 181Movement because we want our teens who are struggling and possibly headed down the wrong path to turn their life around 180 degrees, and bring one additional personwith them,” explains Robinson. “We want to show them that the issues they are dealing with are shared, and provide a connection to others who are headed in the right direction.We don’t want them to self-medicate.” The programwas an immediate hit and participation is growing eachweek. In order to provide the best possible service to participants, 181Movement has partneredwith area professionals to lead discussions and help teens on a one-on-one basis.The program is for anyone age 12-19 andmeetsThursdays from5-7:30pmat GoodChurch. “We have an open-door policy. Just showup,” adds Robinson. “You can showup for asmany nights as youwant,we don’t take attendance.And, if you need a ride,we provide that, also.” Each 181Movement night starts with a cateredmeal during which participants are asked to use the time to build relationships with new people.Then, the group plays a collective game before the 15-minute topical message or devotional is delivered. “The topics are chosen by the teens and it’s always something that someone is dealing with:

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