Who We Are
WE ARE MOTHERS, FATHERS, SISTERS AND BROTHERS.
WE ARE MEN AND WOMEN, CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
WE ARE FAMILY, WE ARE COMMUNITY.
WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF STRENGTH AND SELF RESILIENCY.
Our Story
In underserved communities, inequities are interconnected. This means that the solutions we create to address those inequities must also be interconnected. Founded in 2006, Men and Women United for Youth and Families is a nonprofit community organization with a comprehensive, holistic approach to improving the lives of the residents of Bladen, Brunswick, and Columbus Counties, NC.
Our mission is to promote education, resource awareness and to provide services to assist in creating independent and self-sufficient youth and families in our community. We believe that each family is the driving force behind their own success. Our programs assist, enrich, and enlighten each family member with valuable resources and educational opportunities to enhance the quality of their lives.
About Our Executive Director
Randolph Keaton’s passion lies with serving disadvantaged people in our rural communities, particularly through promoting youth leadership, to ensure that our residents reap the benefits of investments in social, economic, and environmental justice today and into the future.
Mr. Keaton was born and reared in Riegelwood, North Carolina. He received his early education in the Bladen County school system before graduating from Acme Delco High School in 1979. In the fall of that same year, he enrolled in North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (A&T State) where he received his BA in Political Science in 1984. While serving in the United States Air Force, Mr. Keaton obtained his MA in Human Resources Development for Webster University in 1988.
He has over 20 years of experience in the Human Services field, having worked for organizations such as the New Hanover County Department of Social Services, Columbus County Mental Health and the Wilmington Housing Authority. In addition to his work with Men and Women United, he currently serves as a Counselor for The Boys and Girls Home of Lake Waccomaw, and on the Feast Down East Board of Directors, where he has been a member for several years. You can read more about Mr. Keaton here.
Our Supporters
PARTNERS
MWUYF collaborates with local partners to serve the Tri-County area.
- Community Support Agency
- Local Community Colleges
- Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
- NCWorks Career Centers
- Cape Fear Area United Way
- Bolton, East Arcadia, and Sandyfield Towns (B.E.S.T.)
- Brunswick, Bladen, and Columbus County Schools
- Columbus County Farmers Market
- Bladen County Farmers Market
- Graham Chapel Church
- NC Rural Center
- Carolinas Center for Surgery (CC4S)
- Local Cooperative Extensions
- NC State Cooperative Extension
FUNDERS
Our funders invest in our work, providing financial support for MWUYF's programs.
- NC Department of Public Safety, Columbus County Juvenile Crime Prevention Council
- NC Community Foundation
- Red Cross
- Duke Energy
- Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
- Golden Leaf Foundation
- Anonymous Trust
- Amplify
- Rural Forward NC
- Katie B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
- Good Shepard Fund, Inc.
- International Paper
- The Conservation Fund
- Resourceful Communities
- Blueprint NC
Board of Directors
Randolph Keaton
Executive Director, Director — Men and Women United for Youth and Families
Riegelwood, NC
Ricky Graham
Chairperson — Disabled, Volunteer worker
Riegelwood, NC
Maria Madison
Vice-Chairperson — Principal, College Park Elementary
Delco, NC
Paula Greene
Treasurer — School Counselor, Alderman Elementary
Delco, NC
Althea Weaver
Secretary — Civil Division Supervisor, Bladen County Clerk of Superior Court
Riegelwood, NC
Perry Dixon
Small Business Owner, Town Councilman, Sandyfield
Riegelwood, NC
Kirby Graham
Lab Technician, Hexion Corporation
Riegelwood, NC
Gwen Williams
Resource Coordinator, Four County Community Services
Riegelwood, NC
Laura Waddell
Certified Nurse Assistant II, Columbus County
Bolton, NC
Dave Parks
Business Owner, Parks Trucking
Riegelwood, NC