EAST ORANGE, NJ — Matt Stevens, a former East Orange Recreation Department director and current member of the Eta Pi Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, on Thursday, May 10, hosted a book-signing for his new book, “Welcome 2 Work,” and a scholarship giveaway at the Burger King restaurant on Central Avenue.
“One of the principles for us is uplift, so we have scholarship, perseverance and uplift, so we’re really focused on helping the community,” said Stevens on Thursday, May 10. “As you know, I’m born and raised here in East Orange. I live in Neptune now, but I had to do my first book-signing here in East Orange, with the help of the East Orange Chamber of Commerce and Ian Hume, who is the owner who’s here today. We are just happy to be in East Orange to help the young people prepare for work.”
Stevens also helped two college-bound East Orange youths, Campus High School seniors Akeem Lindo and Ryan Yoro, by presenting each with a $250 scholarship.
“Today, we’re really excited to be doing a lot of different things — No. 1 is getting in the community to get our book; No. 2, importantly, another part of our fraternity is scholarship, so we’re giving two scholarships away today to young men that are mentored by ETA Pi brothers,” said Stevens. “The book is found primarily on our website, which is www.welcome2work.org. And we’ll be throughout the community, doing a variety of different services. We’re working with all kinds of churches and, when churches do the activity, we give $2 from every book sale back to their scholarship committee. So we’re really not here to make money; we’re really here to make a difference.”
Hume is the regional manager for Burger King in the area, which includes East Orange and he’s also a member of the East Orange Chamber of Commerce, so he was representing both at the event. He agreed with Stevens and the other ETA Pi members about the importance of giving back to the community, saying he is in the fast-food restaurant franchise business for the exact same reason, and that’s why he allowed them to hold the book-signing and scholarship giveaway in the restaurant.
“The reason why we’re supporting Matt Stevens is because we are very much involved in the community and, myself, I’m very interested in the progressiveness of our young youths in East Orange,” said Hume on Thursday, May 10. “We have to be more involved and this is a stepping stone. This restaurant’s been here nearly 40 years now, so we’re very much involved in the community of East Orange and Burger King wants to be a big part of that community and I believe we are and we continue to be.”
Lindo said he’s glad that Burger King and the ETA Pi fraternity, also known as also known as the “Community Q’s,” are in East Orange and that they have been active in his life. He said he plans to use his scholarship money wisely to help him achieve his dream to become an aeronautical engineer at North Carolina A&T University.
“It feels pretty good to have this scholarship, to know that everything I’m doing out here everybody’s noticed and it just gives me motivation to go on to work harder and not to let anyone down,” said Lindo, a member of the EOCHS track team, on Thursday, May 10. “My favorite subject is mathematics, so that’s why I want to major in aeronautical engineering and I mix that with science, so that’s a good combination of degrees. I want to build airplanes.
“I believe track is a real man’s sport. If you can’t endure, you won’t win, you won’t be good, so it’s a sport that will help you move forward. It’s a mental thing.”
Lindo’s track coach, Lance Wigfall, is also a member of the ETA Pi Community Q’s and said he believes Lindo has what it takes to achieve the goals he sets for himself. He also said Lindo is a perfect recipient of an ETA Pi scholarship because he really does embody the fraternity’s values of manhood, scholarship and perseverance.
“He’s getting ready to go off to North Carolina A&T in the fall on a full student-athlete scholarship for the track and field team, as well as having a 3.9 grade-point average, as well as a high SAT score,” said Wigfall on Thursday, May 10. “We’re just here to celebrate him, along with his hard work and endeavors, and just giving him a push forward. He’s pretty much a hurdler-sprinter, just started being a jumper. Pretty much he’s about top five in the state of New Jersey and a five-time national champion over the course of four years. So he’s pretty good. Very humble.”
“We’re the Community Q’s for a reason; because we’re always in the community, giving back service and that’s the most important thing,” said Wigfall.
For more information about the Eta Pi Chapter Community Q’s youth mentoring workshop, email Devobarr@gmail.com. To learn more about the Eta Pi Chapter Community Q’s of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, call 973-332-7496.
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