Walking Tall Southern Oregon is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Walking Tall provides compassionate life coaching to young men 7th – 12th grade, assisted by many mentors who work side-by-side with providing them hands-on skills and job ready-ness opportunities such as automotive and small engine repair, welding, woodshop, carpentry, machining and more. If a young man has an interest in some skill, the men work hard to line the teen up with an appropriate mentor. A typical Walking Tall evening meeting begins with the all-important greeting which includes a firm handshake. The mentors demonstrate admiration; these young men must first respect themselves and then the others around them. Since all teens like to eat, a homemade meal is a staple of a Walking Tall meeting followed by a message/group discussion where the young men are encouraged to share their thoughts and struggles and then the hustle and bustle of working on projects begins. All mentees must pass safety tests and learn the requisite skills before using the power tools. Reflecting on this great program, Tom states, “The Walking Tall ministry thrives because of the mentors.