Mel Carter

Mel Carter, an owner of a small business in Spokane, WA, contributes countless hours to more than a dozen organizations, most of which broaden opportunities for young people in his community.

Mel has worked closely with the Spokane Police Department for years in crime prevention and awareness programs and in other programs benefiting the youth in Spokane.

For several years, Mel has worked with the "COPY Kids" program, which is designed to help at-risk young people, many of which are single parents. Mel works with the Police Department's "PAL" (Police Athletic League) and is a mentor with the County Juvenile Court system in Spokane.

He was the first citizen honored by the Bethel AME Church for his work in bringing together disparate members of the community and finding avenues of communication about such topics as youth gangs, drugs and youth crime in Spokane.

Mel has helped obtain federal Department of Justice grants for Spokane’s Community Oriented Policing programs. He helped create District 81's Truancy Center in 1994 and is a member of the board that administers the Police "COPS Substations" program, which has created the city's ten neighborhoods substations, all staffed by citizen volunteers.

Mel is a volunteer recruiter for both the Spokane Police Department and the County Sheriff's Department.

Mel has been active in the Big Brothers/Big Sister Program, helped to establish the Chase Youth Enrichment Fund, is Honorary Chairman of the annual A Family Affair program and is a member of the Gonzaga University steering committee on race relations.

He is an active member of the African-American Men's Group, has been a board member of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center and is a founding member of the Women and Minority Owned Business Association.

He is the Youth Internship Coordinator for the Spokane Community Colleges and in 1992, cofounded the Libby Teen Center.

Mel Carter has always been willing to help identify a problem, explore its implications, then help design and implement solutions. He follows through with his time, his expertise and his belief that one person can make a difference.