Dr. Dwight and Stephanie Young began BLOC Ministries in 1998 after working as youth pastors for more than a decade in Cincinnati and in Knoxville, Tennessee. As community pastors, they’d seen youth and adults whose lives and neighborhoods were breaking or broken. The Youngs realized that many students slipped between the cracks: not involved in school, church, social clubs, or any productive pursuits. Yet these were the ones who were usually at the highest risk for dropping out, drugs, teen pregnancy, crime and other risks of urban streets.BLOC was created to build connections and safe spaces for students, families and adults to thrive and succeed in spite of difficult circumstances. We’re a faith-based non-profit that focuses on healthy, personal relationships and activities that help build hope, purpose, and vital life skills.We started with one after-school site in the village of Cleves, Ohio. Along the many hours of playing basketball or board games, eating pizza, or quizzing on spelling words, connections were formed. Students shared their deepest fears, highest hopes, and hardest life struggles that they and their families faced. We decided to join them in a journey toward healing, hope, and love. We are BLOC.
These community & business leaders spend their time, talent & treasure to help BLOC work and function, day-to-day.
BLOC has assembled a unique, innovative and dynamic team of individuals who live and work in the neighborhoods they serve. Yes, our staff live in the very urban centers where they deploy their programs and work every day. These committed individuals don't just leave the office at 5 p.m. everyday - for many, their work is only beginning. They have a common love for God and have dedicated their considerable skills, time, and talent to building relationships one-to-one, and building disciples. Each team member is provided housing within the neighborhood and a stipend. Each staff member raises funds for their own compensation as well, of which only 15% goes to BLOC for overhead. As one of the very few nonprofit organizations of its kind in the world, BLOC Ministries & Industries are rare and the only known entity of its kind in the Midwest, positioning itself as a model for the rest of the United States and the world.