Amachi Pittsburgh is breaking the cycle of incarceration by helping youth thrive and achieve their goals. The organization provides support to youth who have parents who may be incarcerated or are at high risk of incarceration. Through mentorship and care, their work has changed the trajectory of children's lives.

On Thursday evening, Amachi Hachi Pachi: Legacy of Impact Celebration will reflect on 20 years of success in the city.

According to Anna Hollis Kander, executive director at Amachi Pittsburgh, the celebration makes a powerful statement: "Instead of writing kids off because of their zip code, family circumstances or community and school deficits, if we make the right decisions and wrap them with support and guidance, they will be successful."

Hollis Kander has been involved with Amachi since she joined as a mentor 20 years ago.

Friends and family of Amachi will celebrate at the Circuit Center on the South Side.

"We are celebrating 20 years. Amachi Pittsburgh is one of the few organizations that adopted the national Amachi model and are implementing it," said Hollis Kander. "We have weathered many storms but are still going strong."

Hollis Kander said that Amachi is proof of the promise and potential of young people: "If we invest our time, talent and resources to ensure they are cared for, guided toward opportunities and equipped to overcome challenges, they will thrive."

During Thursday evening's celebration, they will underscore the importance of protecting the most vulnerable children and emphasize the power of prevention. Much of their work has come through mentorship, family support and community collaboration.

"It's about collective impact. We have brought together a broad network to make this work happen, with many volunteers from communities of faith," said Hollis Kander.

That's how Yawatta Sayles became involved with Amachi. She couldn't see herself committing to just one year in a child's life, and she and her mentee, Ronnea, who is like family, were honored by Amachi for being the longest match and for the bond they've formed.

"The program was introduced at our church, and the model was to meet with your mentee once a week for a year," said Sayles, of White Oak.

"They already had a parent who was incarcerated and lacked stability, so I didn't feel right committing to just one year," said Sayles.

When Sayles and Ronnea were matched, Ronnea was only 5. Sayles has been there for Ronnea's high school and college graduations, and they've even gone on family vacations together.

"Amachi expanded my family. That's who they are to me, she's not just my mentee. Consistency is something we all need in life," she said. "I'm grateful ... I got a 'plus daughter.'"

According to Hollis Kander, Amachi has had a 92% success rate with the children they've served.

"Our young people have been breaking the generational cycle of incarceration," said Hollis Kander. "That's a lot to celebrate."

In addition to the mentorship program, Amachi also runs Amachi Ambassadors Civic Engagement, an advocacy and leadership development program for high school students. Through the program, students learn how to become agents of change, get involved civically and influence policy reform by speaking to legislators about issues impacting their lives.

The family-strengthening aspect of Amachi's work is important, as Hollis Kander emphasized that they support kids along with their families, ensuring the entire family has access to resources.

The Amachi model was developed in Philadelphia in response to the national prevalence of children with incarcerated parents, which approached 3 million at the time.

"Amachi addresses the ways that innocent children are impacted by a parent's incarceration, from family financial setbacks to emotional trauma and academic decline," Hollis Kander said.

Amachi, Inc.was founded in 2000 by Rev. Dr. W. Wilson Goode Sr., who serves as president, and John DiIulio from the University of Pennsylvania. "Amachi" is a Nigerian-Igbo word meaning, "Who knows but what God has brought us through this child."

Tirrell Harris, 31, from Homewood and Wilkinsburg, was one of those children and matched with his mentor at 13.

"Amachi saved me in a lot of ways," Harris said. "I was going through some challenges at the time, wanting to learn more about the world, and the absence of my father was starting to weigh on me."

When his mentor Brandon arrived, Harris gained a male role model -- like the big brother he'd never had.

"Seeing someone who looked like me, an older Black man, showing me there was another path forward, was a positive light for me," he said. Harris saw his mentor graduating from the University of Pittsburgh as an inspiration.

"Watching all those people walk across the stage, it was so cool to me at the time," he said. "It showed me that if I buckled down and looked forward to the future, it was possible for me too."

Growing up, Harris saw his neighborhood filled with abandoned storefronts and houses.

"If you don't get to see the outside world, and you're surrounded by that same impoverished area, it weighs you down. You don't get to see that there's more out there," he said. "There is more. I am living proof that it's true."

The celebration will feature the typical elements of a gala, food, music and provide a moment to escape today's challenges and experience joy. The event will honor Amachi's journey and the obstacles they've overcome.

"People are now paying attention to this issue because of Amachi. Children were victims of the consequences of incarceration," said Hollis Kander.

Looking to the future, Amachi will explore its impact and showcase new initiatives, like its mobile outreach program. The vehicle will be on display at the celebration.

They are also launching a pilot scholarship program in partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools, made possible through the advocacy for education reform. "We've been part of several policy reform efforts," Hollis Kander noted.

"We're also aware of the challenges ahead," she said, referencing new government administration and funding issues. "We want to rally our supporters to strategize."

At the event, they will also honor the Grable Foundation, a founding funder of Amachi Pittsburgh, and M. Gayle Moss, an advocate and board member of Amachi.

"Amachi showed me that I could be something in the world, and it inspired me to strive for a better future," Harris said. "It gave me opportunities. You don't have to just accept everything life throws at you."