Young Men's Service League brings moms, sons together

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By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

Stephanie Tipton’s son, Caden, is a busy 14-year-old who will start his freshman year at Mansfield High School this fall. She knows that her time with him is limited, and she wants to make the most of it.

“My son plays competitive baseball,” the Mansfield resident said. “At one of his games one of the other mothers was telling us about National Charity League (a philanthropic organization for mothers and daughters). I said ‘I wish they had something for boys.’ She said ‘There is.’”

When Tipton looked up the Young Men’s Service League, she discovered that it had started in Plano in 2001 and had been expanding, but there wasn’t a chapter near Mansfield.

“They had a zoom call that you could join to learn about starting a chapter,” she said. “I talked to some of his friends’ moms and they said ‘We’re doing it.’”

The Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) is for young men in high school and their moms. They hold five to seven meetings a year and perform at least 20 hours of community service annually, at least 10 hours with their mom.

“The founders really wanted a time for moms to have with their sons during high school,” Tipton said.”This gives us dedicated time to spend with our sons.”

The Mansfield chapter formed nine months ago and has 51 young men and 51 moms. And they have been busy.

“So far, we have established relationships with a few organizations, like Miracle League, Gigi’s Playhouse, which is a place for kids and families with Down Syndrome, Common Ground doing Feed the Kids, Special Olympics, the City of Mansfield, Mansfield Mission Center, Allies in Youth, nursing homes, Mission Arlington and Under the Bridge, which feeds the homeless in the Fort Worth area,” said Tipton, who is president of the Mansfield chapter.

“The organization really wants us to get hands-on service with elderly, veterans, people living with disabilities, people with food insecurity,” Tipton said. “It’s giving the boys exposure to people in need.”

Tipton, who also has a son who will be a fourth-grader at J.L. Boren Elementary this fall, thinks it’s important for her sons to see different aspects of the world.

“I think it was eye-opening for some of the boys at Gigi’s Playhouse, and hearing about Feed the Kids and learning that some kids might not eat,” she said. “I think it’s important for them to see that even here in Mansfield there is need. For the most part, these kids are very blessed. It’s easy to miss what’s going on even in this city.”

Shana Busby, a teacher at Asa Low Intermediate School, taught Caden Tipton, who was friends with her son, Zach, 15. When Tipton decided to start the Mansfield YMSL, Caden immediately thought of Zach.

“She explained what YMSL was,” Busby said. “She wanted something that moms and sons could do together.”

Zach, who will be a sophomore at Mansfield High School this fall, took a little convincing, but is onboard now.

“I was a little confused as to what it was,” he said. “You get to do community service with your mom and other kids. Doing it with the community brings more awareness. This is really important, and helps the whole city. I want to bring more awareness to the small organizations that need the help.”

Busby, who is the vice president of philanthropy for the Mansfield chapter, likes that it helps the boys grow and bond with each other and their community.

“I’m trying to make sure that the things we do aren’t just manual labor,” she said. “It’s really hands-on working with community members. To watch the boys interact with the kiddos was really cool, how engaged they were. You see the nurturing side of the boys.”

At the meetings, the boys get exposure to life experiences, Tipton said, things like “how to change a tire, meeting the mayor, how to grill a steak.”

Both moms love spending extra time with their busy sons.

“We attend meetings together,” Busby said. “You get the time together, but you still get the separation. We each have to get 20 hours, 10 of them have to be with the son and the mom. Zach said he wants to do them all together.”

And she likes seeing her son grow in a positive way, she said.

“When you serve with your peers, it builds community with kids your own age,” Busby said. “It builds character, leadership skills. The boys get the opportunity to see how other sons and moms interact. When you’re serving with your peers it brings an element of fun. You serve your community and teach your sons leadership.”

Tipton agrees.

“Ultimately the goal is to raise men who are leaders and to realize that we are part of a bigger community and to do for those who may not be able to do for themselves,” Tipton said. “And to solidify that mother-son relationship.”

For more information about YMSL, click here. YMSL will hold prospective member meetings in January.