Founder and Executive Director of The CATCH Initiative
My Journey to CATCH: Turning Pain into Purpose
My name is Mauri Sylvester, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve felt a deep calling to make a difference in the lives of others. As a child, I dreamed of bold ideas that could change the world—but I had no clear direction on how to bring them to life. My adolescence was marked by trauma, and in the absence of guidance, I made choices that led me down a dangerous path.
Yet even in the chaos, I found strength in the tools that had been instilled in me through programs for at-risk youth programs I was fortunate to be part of. They planted seeds of hope and resilience early on, which later became the catalyst for my own transformation, and the spark that drives me to help others today.
A Pivotal Year
2023 was a whirlwind—a year of transformation that forced me to confront my purpose. I was juggling a music career while raising two boys as a single mother after leaving an abusive relationship. In the midst of it all, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Two months after my tumor was removed, I found out I was pregnant again.
And then, as if life wasn’t chaotic enough, I met three preteen boys in my community who had no real support and were struggling to meet their basic needs. I couldn’t look away. I couldn’t let them fall into the same traps I did at their age. But I also felt overwhelmed—how could I guide them when I was still trying to figure out my own life? I had no resources, no roadmap, just a commitment to try.
That turned out to be enough.
The Birth of CATCH
Our journey together became the foundation of the CATCH Initiative. I learned that true support isn’t just about providing food, clothes, or shelter. The greatest thing you can give someone is the confidence and tools to help themselves. These boys didn’t just need things—they needed consistency, mentorship, and a belief in their own potential.
I also learned that before you can throw, you have to CATCH. You can’t just tell someone to catch—you have to show them how. It was a challenge at first because I was still learning these lessons myself. But in guiding them, I was also growing. I started becoming the person I once needed.
For the first time, I let go of the identity my trauma had shaped for me. I was no longer just a product of my past—I took control of my story, turning my vulnerabilities into strengths that would guide me toward my purpose. I realized these kids were looking to me for guidance, and if I wanted to lead them in the right direction, I had to become someone worth following.
Full Circle
The CATCH Initiative wasn’t just something I started—it was something that had to happen. The urgency was undeniable. I saw firsthand how easy it was for young people to slip through the cracks, how a lack of resources, guidance, and confidence could dictate the course of their lives. I refused to let that happen.
We started with what we had, and piece by piece, everything began to come together. Music was still a part of the picture, but now it had purpose. That’s why we created the Multimedia program—to give kids the tools to express themselves in a way that builds them up, not breaks them down. We understand the power of media and how it shapes young minds. Instead of being influenced by negativity, we’re teaching them how to take control of their own narratives.
When I look at how motivated, resilient and fueled by positivity the young people of CATCH are, I’m inspired and wish I had caught on sooner myself.
Breaking the Cycle
Poverty doesn’t just mean lacking money. It means making choices out of desperation, choices that can lead to dangerous situations. Society often judges and ostracizes those who make these choices, pushing them further into isolation. Without access to resources or support, it’s easy to fall into a cycle of hopelessness.
The only way to break that cycle is to counter every force that works against us. The CATCH Career Program meets a lack of resources with opportunity. It meets a lack of guidance with mentorship and training. It meets hard work with real rewards, proving to our participants that their contributions are valuable.
We’ve built a community where people don’t fall through the cracks—we CATCH each other. When society drops the ball, we pick it up and take the shot.
This is more than an organization. This is a movement.
The CATCH Initiative 