The Support Group Hosts Lunch With A Leader

The Support Group Founders Tim Hardaway, Sr. and Bennie Henry, with the leaders from Lunch with a Leader event. Photo provided by With An Eye PR.
The Support Group Founders Tim Hardaway, Sr. and Bennie Henry, with the leaders from Lunch with a Leader event. Photo provided by With An Eye PR.

The Support Group Hosts Lunch With A Leader

By Tia Carol Jones

More than 300 Chicago Public School students had the opportunity to have lunch with industry, community and business leaders. The event was hosted by the Support Group, with the goal of giving the students direct access to professionals from various sectors.

The Support Group was founded 35 years ago by Bennie Henry and Timothy Hardaway, Sr. The mission of the organization is to inspire young people to become catalysts for change in their communities. The Support Group does this through programs like Sports and Peace, Youth Peace Ambassadors in Motion and Advancing Young Leaders, as well as Lunch with a Leader.

The Support Group co-founder Hardaway said that the organization is all about helping young people. He said the young people need an outlet and someone to talk to and that is what The Support Group provides for the young people who participate in their various programs. He said that giving young people access to leaders in the community exposes the young people to various career paths. He said that Lunch with a Leader, which has been taking place for 10 years, is a way for the young people to see that it is possible for them to be successful in whatever path they choose.

Hardaway said that the event is an opportunity for the young people to ask any questions they might have about a career path or industry to people who work in that industry. He said that, in turn, the leaders can also ask the young people what sparked their interest about the career path or industry. He said the Support Group sent out an email to invite leaders who were interested in participating in the event. He said they received an overwhelming response from the leaders, who were looking to engage with the students.

Mike James is the owner of GPR Audio Visual Incorporated. GPR does audio visual installation and does live sound production. James is committed to young people. He has been friends with Henry for years and shares his vision when it comes to inspiring young people to be the best version of themselves. James said when he met with the young people, he wanted to find out what their interests were. He said they all wanted to go into business and had 3.0 grade point averages. He said he encouraged them to stay focused and to make sure they don’t get distracted by social media and other outside influences.

“With them being here, it means they get it and that they want to better understand how to get what they want,” James said.

Actor, musician and model Kay Eye encouraged the young people during the event. He told them that whatever they wanted to do in life, they could accomplish it. He told them to find their purpose in life and follow it. He said that when he was young, he knew what he wanted to do and years later, he is doing everything he set out to do.

“Understand that everything you need, is inside you, you possess it. Whatever you decide you want to do, it’s yours. You just have to be diligent about it, you gotta stay disciplined, you gotta keep your mind focused, you gotta cut out all the distractions,” Kay Eye said.

For more information about the Support Group, visit https://thesupportgroup.org.

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