To my neighbors in Hoboken:
My name is David Lambert and I am writing to invite you to an important gathering in Hoboken, NJ on March 5th. The theme of the event is Mentoring. The centerpiece of the evening will be a screening of the film Journeyman, a one-hour documentary about two teenage boys and the impact that mentoring has on their lives.
My goal is to create a discussion about the importance of mentoring in our evolving community, and I’d like you to be part of this event!
About the event:
You are invited to a screening and discussion at All Saints Episcopal Parish, at 701 Washington Street in Hoboken, NJ. Please join everyone at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. In addition to the general public, I am inviting many people from many local and state organizations, from the town Board of Ed and local youth groups to the NJ Division of Youth and Family Services, as well as mentoring organizations such as Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Boys to Men and iMentor.
This is a non-denominational event. Light snacks will be provided. A suggested donation of $5 will cover the costs of screening the film.
About the film:
Journeyman is a Minnesota-made documentary about American male culture and the need for men in boys' lives—and vice versa. The film focuses on two boys, Mike and Joe, introducing us to their families, their strengths, their limitations, and the challenges each faces in overcoming obstacles as they move from boyhood toward manhood.
The film also features Michael Gurian (The Good Son and The Wonder of Boys,) Dr. Barbara Coloroso, (Kids Are Worth It), and Dr. David Walsh (Why Do They Act that Way?).
Journeyman studies the phenomena of "at risk" boys. The documentary gives us two powerful central theses: First, that boys who lack male mentors and healthy “rites of passage” are prone to search for other things to fill in the gap; those “solutions” can include drugs, promiscuity, gangs or worse. Second, and perhaps less obvious, is the discovery that men who aren’t actively involved in mentoring the boys around them are also lacking something vital, and are just as prone to seek poor or even self-destructive substitutes.
Journeyman has had theatre screenings in major cities across the country, and it recently won the Best Documentary 2008 award at the Gloria Film Festival in Salt Lake City. It has been used to recruit and train new mentors, fund-raise and generally raise awareness about the issues teenage boys face, including teen violence, high dropout rates, depression, addiction and even suicide. Additional information about the film can be found at www.mirrormanfilms.org.
To view previews and trailers, please click these links:
Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dINl_U_vqg
Higher quality version:
http://www.videohaiku.com/journeyman/trailer.mp4
Windows:
http://www.videohaiku.com/journeyman/trailer.wmv
About the organizer:
I have lived in Hoboken since 1995 and have been active in a men’s group called the Mankind Project since 2000. (Journeyman was filmed by members of The Mankind Project.)
As I watch Hoboken and the neighboring towns in Hudson County evolve, I see an ever-growing need for support and mentoring in the lives of the teens around me. And I see a tremendous surge of people in the neighborhood who might have the time and the ability to offer their gifts, if they only knew the need existed.
Thank you very much for your time and interest in this event. Please call 201-459-8858 if you have any questions or if you'd like to volunteer to help on the night of the event, and feel free to pass this invitation on to others who might be interested or have something to contribute to the conversation.
Sincerely,
David R. Lambert ◦
