Reclaiming My Manhood

  More than 25% of Richmond County residents live in poverty (US Census 2021). Many of those are men struggling through generational cycles of fatherless homes, emotional traumas and substance abuse. Some are even veterans. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 7% of all veterans face a substance abuse issue (2021). Additionally, Richmond County bears a staggering 33.7% death rate due to drug overdoses (DPH 2020). With statistics such as these in mind, and in honor of his grandmother’s heart of service for those in need, Christopher Mulliens founded the Freddie Mae Foundation, Inc. (FMF) in 2017.

Our organization serves the Greater Augusta area and strives to be a safe haven for those we support through a “continuous effort to provide mentorship and community outreach” to the less fortunate and homeless men in our community. FMF recognizes the need for resources dedicated exclusively to men in the Greater Augusta area who find themselves struggling with substance abuse and financial instability, as very few resources such as ours exist.

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The Mulliens House

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For this reason, we have created the The Mulliens House for sober living, an environment where trauma and mental health counseling are offered for men and their children. The inclusion of children allows for a more meaningful generational impact. Men enrolled in our programs are able to participate in classes on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, home ownership and parenting. We also provide employment and education assistance. For men with criminal records, we offer re-entry counseling and work preparation such as learning new trades or farming. These classes prepare them for life after graduating from our program. Our men are able to immediately experience a newfound sense of dignity and normalcy as well as put these newly learned skills to use when they use the small shop within the house to “purchase” personal and work clothes, toiletries, and shoes. Upon completion of all required classes, our men find themselves better equipped for next steps and qualify for our stable housing transition assistance.

We must help our men rediscover their value as human beings and become self-sufficient. Our goals are intentional as we work diligently to bring local awareness to the plight of the underserved, help create a healthy and safe neighborhood for everyone, and, ultimately, make great leaders within our community.

In 2021, a generous donor gifted FMF with a house for this program that needs full renovations to be habitable. For these reasons, FMF seeks generous grants and funding to aid us in reaching our goal of $350,000 to allow us to begin construction and make strides towards fully implementing Reclaiming My Manhood.