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2015: The Beginning
Urban City Impact began in March 2015 under the name InnerCity Solutions. Our original team consisted of five young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 years old. We had big goals and a strong desire to serve our community, but we did not have much direction, strategy, or experience. Our first year of existence consisted mainly of planning meetings and a donation of toiletries to Youth Challenge of Hampton Roads. During this time, we attended and participated in community events hosted by Our Youth-Our Future Foundation Inc. and non-profit organizations.
2016: Finding Our Direction
Although we were discouraged by previous unsuccessful attempts at hosting our own community events, our panel event held in April 2016 became a pivotal moment for us. Attendance was small, consisting primarily of friends and community members. At the end of the panel discussion, Dr. Alvean Lyons gave us valuable guidance and encouraged us to focus on one or two specific areas of service. After considering her advice, we decided to focus primarily on working with youth.
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In May, we hosted a community skating event that drew a crowd of about 30 friends, family members, and local residents. Although attendance was small, the event helped strengthen our community presence and build momentum.
Following these events, a connection made during April's panel discussion led us to Mr. Mark Baker, who allowed us to partner with Christian Trades to support their weekly after-school program at the Doris Miller Community Center.
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2016–2019: Serving at Doris Miller Community Center
Shortly after partnering with Christian Trades, we took over the after-school program and facilitated it for more than three years. During that time, we became a consistent presence in the lives of young people living in Downtown Newport News.
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We played games, held group discussions, completed projects, cooked meals, and built meaningful relationships with the young people at the community center. We also partnered with Christian Trades to host multiple lock-ins at the Newport News YMCA, serving well over 100 young people and providing unforgettable experiences for everyone involved.
2019: The I Need It Project
In 2019, we launched the I Need It Project, an initiative created to provide school supplies, toiletries, and clothing to youth in need.
The project initially served young people at the Doris Miller Community Center and Lindsay Middle School students living in Hampton’s Rip Rap community. The I Need It Project has grown to include a clothes closet remains an important part of our work today by helping young people overcome barriers associated their basic needs.
2021: Becoming Urban City Impact
In December 2019, we concluded our time at Doris Miller because youth participation in the building had declined tremendously due to the closure of Huntington Middle School the previous year. Shortly after leaving, the community center closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although our season of mentorship at Doris Miller had ended, we maintained strong relationships with several of the youth participants and the facility's staff.
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Because COVID-19 prevented us from gathering, we used the season as an opportunity to prepare for our future.
​In 2021, we legally became Urban City Impact and soon received recognition as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. This helped us gain support from other community organizations and gave us a stronger foundation and a greater ability to impact the community.
2022–2023: The Spring Break Camp
In December 2022, after two unsuccessful attempts to organize community events, our leader, Joshua Miller, decided to create a program that would not depend on help from outside organizations. He began planning a free Spring Break Camp for six students.
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In January 2023, Joshua contacted local attractions, restaurants, churches, and community supporters to request donations. Busch Gardens, Great Wolf Lodge, Latitude Rock Climbing, Escape Room Virginia Peninsula, Dave & Buster’s, The Cheesecake Factory, and Mellow Mushroom responded by allowing the students to visit their facilities for discounted prices. camp. Branches of the Vine Community Church, Refuge Christian Church, and several private donors also contributed. Their support allowed us to provide the entire Spring Break Camp at no cost to the students or their families.
2023: Rapid Growth
The mentorship program grew quickly, primarily through relationships Joshua formed with students who rode his school bus. We grew from six boys at the beginning of the program to nearly 40 by the end of 2023.
As the program expanded, we continued to provide fun experiences while also placing a greater emphasis on accountability, behavior, decision-making, academic progress, and personal development.
Where We Are Today
In 2026, our mentorship program became known as Urban City Mentorship (still powered by Urban City Impact) and our young men were named the Urban City Warriors.
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Over the last three years, we've built mentorship relationships with more than 80 boys (over 50 program consistently). We are grateful for the growth, but our focus is not on numbers. Our priority is providing a high-quality and consistent program for every young person we serve. For this reason, we occasionally close registration to ensure that we can continue giving our current participants the time, resources, and support needed to be successful. We serve young men throughout Hampton Roads through group outings, one-on-one mentorship, community-center programming, juvenile detention outreach, academic assistance, transportation, work opportunities, and family support,.
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Urban City Mentorship focuses heavily on teaching life skills, social skills, integrity, discipline, and healthy decision-making.
We provide young people with the tools and resources needed to earn money, gain valuable work experience, resolve conflicts, overcome obstacles, and develop practical solutions to the challenges they face.
Our story continues as we empower young men and women to become people of high standards and integrity through mentorship, accountability, and transformative experiences.