
There’s a feeling of excitement around Arbor Dog, and it’s building. Founder Roland Harvey is working tirelessly to build awareness for organizations doing good work in Baltimore, and his passion is contagious. He sees great things happening around the city, and anticipates Arbor Dog being a part of that. Project Pneuma is one of those organizations.
Founder and Executive Director, Damion Cooper, established Project Pneuma in 2014 after a near death experience of being shot an inch above the heart at point-blank range. He began a healing journey of his own to teach lessons of forgiveness, self-control, discipline and redemption via mentorship. While mentoring a young man in prison during his years in Seminary, he discovered that his mentee was the assailant who shot him years earlier.
Damion Cooper, Founder and Executive Director of Project Pneuma, found his path of healing leading him to become an agent of change in his very own community. Cooper began to see unsettling changes happening all around him. He was then able to visualize the direction for Project Pneuma and began transforming the youth and police mindset.
Project Pneuma provides young Black males in the fourth through eighth grades from Baltimore City Public Schools with the opportunity to grow. They start by preparing the boys to develop social-emotional skills.
They provide academic support, martial arts, yoga, and mindfulness. The boys are able to dive into their creative side with art and media integration. Project Pneuma brings a sense of calm with sound therapy to teach students how to center themselves.
When Damion Cooper mentioned to Roland that he was looking for a place to host a part for the kids and adults of Project Pneuma, Roland immediately offered his home and pool. He and CEO Ericka Mour played host to 30 kids and 12 adults from the organization. Everyone enjoyed a day of swimming and sports, with food truck meals and drinks.
Along with Arbor Dog’s financial contributions, they also invest their time, because at the end of the day, it is important to put faces to the organizations and those who are benefitting from their good works.
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