MENAC, Inc. (Mentor Every Neighborhood and Community) began with one simple belief: if you change the life of a young person, you change the future of an entire community. What started with one school and a handful of students in Onslow County, North Carolina, has grown into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit mentoring organization serving 4th–12th grade students in 15 schools across the Onslow County Schools District.

MENAC was founded because too many students were slipping through the cracks—smart, talented young people who were carrying heavy burdens at home, struggling in school, or just trying to figure out who they were in a noisy world. Teachers saw the behavior. The system saw the data. But someone needed to see the whole child. MENAC stepped into that gap with a clear mission: “Leading and inspiring students to graduate high school, pursue their passion, and be involved in their community.”

From the beginning, MENAC has focused on relationships first. Our mentors show up in classrooms, cafeterias, and school hallways week after week, not just to talk at students but to walk with them. Through our Interactive Student Development Sessions, small-group mentoring, life-skills workshops, and leadership opportunities, students learn how to make positive choices, resolve conflict, manage emotions, set goals, and believe in their own potential.

As MENAC grew from one school to 15, so did our partnerships. We work closely with principals, teachers, counselors, families, local businesses, churches, and community leaders who share our vision for Onslow County’s youth. Together, we are building a support system around students—especially those who might be the first in their family to graduate high school or pursue college, the military, or a skilled trade.

Our story is written in real lives: the middle school student who stops fighting and starts leading; the high school senior who decides not to drop out; the young man who returns to mentor the next generation because someone once believed in him. These are the moments that define MENAC.

Today, MENAC is more than a program—it is a movement of mentors, educators, families, and partners committed to helping young people rise. We believe every student deserves to be seen, heard, prepared, and supported. As we continue to grow, our commitment remains the same: to mentor every neighborhood and community, one student at a time.

MENAC Interactive Student Development Sessions

By MENAC INC

MENAC Interactive Student Development Sessions

“Support MENAC This Giving Tuesday and Impact 15 Schools.”