Organization History/Accomplishments

The Agape Cadet Corp program was founded in 1995 in response to the violence and racial trauma experienced by minority youth as more and more minority youth became involved in criminal activity that involved violence against one another. The purpose of the Agape Cadet Corps program is simple. Stop the violence, build character and self-esteem and promote self-determination in at-risk youth living in the Clinton areas. Since it's start-up, the Agape Cadet Corp program has served over 500 youth from low-income impoverished neighborhoods and continues to serve 100 to 125 youth per year. Jim and Mary Bryant, founders of the Agape Cadet Corp of Clinton, North Carolina, opened Granny's House in November of 2000 in response to local school statistics that revealed that 1 out of every 6 high school students living in Clinton are dropping out of school. Test scores of low income school children continue to decline. Youth attending the Agape Corp program continued to show up at the Bryant house even when no formal sessions were scheduled. The need for a safe haven for youth was clear. There are literally no other free, after school programs or safe havens for youth to attend in Clinton. The Agape Cadet Corp program and Granny's House are the only free educational and recreational programs of there type in Clinton or the surrounding areas.