The Misunderstood Youth Development Center, Corporation (MYDC) is a youth prevention non-profit organization founded in 2005 by Terryl Ebony De Mendonca.
Vision Statement The Misunderstood Youth Development Center’s (MYDC) vision is to empower youth in communities throughout New York and neighboring states giving them the necessary tools to learn positive self-expression amongst their peers, families, and society while gaining independence and leadership qualities through positive decision-making.
Mission Statement MYDC’s mission is to create various peer-oriented programs that will allow self-expression while Helping to Understand, Develop and Stimulate the Minds of our Youth.
Core Purpose: MYDC’s core purpose is to open up the lines of communication for youth, helping them acquire a better understanding of life and people, therefore, being able to cope with the various trials and tribulations life often throws our way, positively and productively.
Population: MYDC serves youth ages 5-24, broken down into 4 sections of pre-adolescence (5-10), adolescence (11-13), teenagers (14-18) and young adults (19-24).
The MYDC Team
Founder/Executive Director, Terryl Ebony De Mendonca Born in Washington, DC, on December 29, 1974, Terryl Ebony De Mendonca emerged as a bright, energetic little girl. She was raised under West Indian traditions as her parents are of Guyanese decent. Terryl’s mother raised her and her sister as a single parent. They moved to Brooklyn, New York when she was 9 years old to gain aide from other family members. Terryl went to Julia Richman High School in New York City, graduating in September 1991. Before launching her career, Terryl gave birth to her 1st and only son, Devon. Shortly thereafter, Terryl and her son moved to the St. Albans section of Queens where they currently reside.
With over ten years of combined experience in accounting and operations, Terryl was the President of a consulting firm, De Mendonca Associates (DMA), which offered outsourced business solutions and financial services to small businesses and nonprofit organizations for 3 years. Today, she is the Director of Youth Services at Community Partnership Referral & Resources (CPRR), a culturally aware, community-based human services agency. Her function at CPRR is to develop youth programming and oversee all aspects of her department. She also runs the day-to-day accounting, payroll and human resource tasks along with assisting in the marketing efforts of the agency.
Terryl is very dedicated to doing whatever she can to strengthen youth mind set. With that dedication coupled with the devotion to her son, in 2005 she formed The Misunderstood Youth Development Center (MYDC). As Founder/Executive Director, Terryl created a mission to help understand, develop and stimulate the minds of our youth. Terryl believes that part of helping youth is helping their family; therefore, she created The Misunderstood Youth Development Center Group on the Facebook social network website designed for parents to have a place to vent, get ideas, and seek guidance about the daily trials and tribulations along with the joys and happiness of parenting. Terryl has received a proclamation from Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, to support her efforts. Her alliance with CPRR and MYDC gave headlines to the local Queens newspaper, Queens Courier, on April 3, 2008. Terryl has also made several appearances on the local New York television show “Another Chance In Life” discussing the challenges of being a single parent and the importance of programs such as MYDC.
To date, Terryl has become involved in several organizations to liaison with other like minds to take MYDC to the next level. She is a Board Member of CACNY (Caribbean American Center of New York). Terryl’s future endeavors include an online radio talk show (www.blogtalkradio.com/terrylebony) – a spin off of the MYDC Facebook Group site, motivational speaking about youth, parenting and the community - both endeavors to be unleashed in September 2009. Terryl is also set to release the 1st of several memoirs in December 2009 – the first being “Losing Love, Having Faith & Finding Hope”. All her endeavors is a piece of who she is and she wishes to share that with the world, hoping that from her experiences and/or her words she is able to touch someone’s heart or mind creating positive change within.
Board Chair, Ival Grant-Williams Ival Grant-Williams has extensive experience in nonprofit management, foundation and corporate philanthropy, and government grant making. Her professional experience includes managing project team responsibilities for state-level economic development grant programs that awarded up to $5 million to businesses, community organizations and nonprofit financial institutions. She also performed grant review consultancy for a federally funded financial and technical assistance grant program in community development lending. Ival successfully managed corporate and foundation support for a $1 million operating budget at one of the oldest community and housing development corporation in the South Bronx. She also played an integral role in the development of a technical assistance program for small to mid-size nonprofit organizations engaged in facility related projects. Today, she continues her commitment to community development by managing the reinvention of local government through the development of a single point of entry for health and human services for those who need it most. She also teaches community development as a lecturer at Pace University.
Ival serves as a board member and youth mentor for several grassroots organizations, including the Misunderstood Youth Development Center. She established the New York University Chapter of Women and Youth Supporting Each Other which trains and matches College Mentors with young girls. She also participates in the development of civic engagement activities for students.
Ms. Grant-Williams has a B.A. in Political Science and History, from Pace University, New York, N.Y., where she was the first female President of the Pace Model United Nations Team. Ival also holds a graduate degree in Public Finance and Administration from New York University, New York, N.Y.
Executive Board Member, Maurice A. Lacey, LMSW, M.S. ED., CASAC Mr. Lacey received his BS in Psychology from Mercy College, MS Ed. from St John’s University, is currently pursuing his Ph.D in social welfare at Adelphi University. He is a Licensed Master Social Worker and NYS Credentialed Alcoholism &Substance Abuse Counselor.
Maurice Lacey is the current the Executive Director of Faith Mission Crisis Center, Inc. (FMCC). FMCC is a faith-based, behavioral healthcare organization that provides residential crisis services for over 1500 men and women suffering from substance use disorders annually.
He is the President/CEO of 1 ALPHA CONSULTING & DEVELOPMENT CORP; which provides consulting, training, and technical assistance to small human service agencies. He is owner and Director of Dot’s Place, a half-way house for recovering men.
His role as a community organizer at the Peoples Institute for Survival and Beyond has bolstered his work with communities of color and revalidated his commitment to social justice and equity for all. As coordinator of the Men of Color Roundtable Discussion Group he is involved in facilitating dialogue around internalized racial oppression, healing, community organizing, and undoing structural racism.
Mr. Lacey serves on several boards of directors and committees dealing with homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, youth services, criminal justice, education, and HIV/AIDS. He has been on the front line of addiction, mental health, and youth services for over 18 years. He is a highly regarded social worker, community organizer, educator, and administrator.
He’s an adjunct professor/faculty advisor at Hunter College School of Social Work and teaches advanced practice skills for professional counselors, nurses, and other professionals at other institutions. He utilizes the strengths-based approach to reach individual clients and groups, but is also interested in self-empowerment, holistic, and public health approaches.
Executive Board Member, Janet Srikishun-Garcia Mrs. Srikshun-Garcia has over ten years of managerial and administrative experience. Janet is currently an Accounts Payable Manager/Administrative Assistant to a multi-million dollar poultry wholesale trading and distribution company based in Bronx, New York. She manages over 2000 vendor accounts and expenses for a staff of 50 and divisions all over the continent. Janet also has experience working in the non profit sector as Office Manager for the Hunts Point Economic Development Corporation (HPEDC) located in Hunts Point Coop Market in Bronx, NY. HPEDC is an organization that is funded by state and city programs to revitalize the Industrial Park. Janet’s role at Hunt Point was not limited to Office Management. She was also responsible for audit control, funding distribution, payroll, etc.
Before entering non profit sector, Janet was a part time worker as a Board of Education certified Matron for a company that transported mentally challenged kids.
She currently has a BA in Psychology and Early Childhood Education from the College of New Rochelle.
