Today we’re excited to be connecting with Melanie Cobb again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.
Melanie, we are so thrilled to be connecting again and can’t wait to hear about all the amazing things you have been up to. Before we jump into all of that, some of our readers might have missed our prior interview, so can you take a moment to reintroduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Melanie Cobb, President/Founder of Empower 7.
Empower 7 started with a spiritual calling to care for orphaned and abandoned teens who don’t know Jesus. Through years of prayer, the purpose for Empower 7 and the dream of a ranch for vulnerable youth was shaped. God answered a specific prayer on January 20, 2018, that gave Empower 7’s Founder the assurance that God was behind this ministry and the confidence to step out in faith.
Empower 7 was formed as a Christian faith-based organization to empower the lives of vulnerable youth in North Texas. On April 4, 2018, Empower 7 was incorporated in the State of Texas as a nonprofit charitable organization. Empower 7 is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
This ministry is driven by Christ’s commandment to care for orphans and love our neighbors as ourselves. For Empower 7, this primarily means loving our young neighbors in the foster care system – foster care teens and aged-out youth struggling to navigate young adulthood on their own.
Empower 7’s goals to empower vulnerable youth to become thriving adults are:
1) Provide a safe place to live: Residential community on the Empower 7 Ranch to provide a physically, emotionally, and psychologically safe place where youth can heal, develop, and move forward with their lives.
2) Offer strategic programs: Programs to positively address the physical, cognitive, moral, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual aspects of youth development.
3) Make Jesus Known: Christ-centered environment and programming to light their way to the unconditional love and unwavering grace of Jesus.
Alright, so our main goal today is to give our audience an update on what you have been up to since our last conversation. We’d love to hear how things are going and what you are most looking forward to or excited about these days.
Empower 7’s vision is big, and we have been faithfully working to achieve it since our formation in 2018. We are developing residential service plans and the E.M.P.O.W.E.R. 7-Step Model and program curricula to positively impact youth from foster care. We have completed the architectural programming and schematic design phases of our large ranch homes and small cottage homes to meet the residential needs of the youth who will live at The Ranch. Architectural design concepts were developed to communicate our long-term vision for the Empower 7 Ranch.
Current fundraising, outreach, and advocacy strategies are underway to raise awareness of our ministry’s goals, advocate for the needs of youth from foster care, raise funds for our programs, operations, and capital campaigns, and build the volunteer and donor base. The Lighting Their Way Campaign was soft-launched in 2020 to raise funds for building the Empower 7 Ranch infrastructure and E.M.P.O.W.E.R. 7-Step model. The ministry’s prayer shield is praying for abundant provision of land and resources for infrastructure.
While planning for the Empower 7 Ranch, we are collaborating with youth-serving organizations to close the gaps that prevent at-risk, underserved, North Texas youth from thriving. Our Blessings & Growth Programs addresses at-risk youth’s immediate or emergency needs and provides them with learning experiences to shape their future. Program activities provide critical support to the family structure and improve the overall well-being of the young people we serve. As we help youth in our communities rise above their challenges, they feel valued, grow in confidence, and are motivated to develop the skills and wisdom necessary to succeed in life. Our Blessings & Growth Programs serve at-risk youth from eight North Texas counties: Dallas, Collin, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains, Rockwall, and Tarrant. Since 2018, Empower 7’s Programs have directly impacted 1,979 youth by providing enrichment activities, great outdoor experiences, self-esteem products, support to stay in school, emergency family support, utilities, food, clothing, Christmas gifts, and celebration of birth, adoption, family reunification, and critical life milestones.
Alright, so let’s do something a bit more fast-paced and lighthearted. We call this our lightning round and we’ll ask you a few quick questions.
- Favorite Movie: Pride & Prejudice
- Favorite Book: The Holy Bible. Radical by David Platt.
- Favorite Band or Artist: MercyMe
- Sweet or Savory: Sweet
- Mountains or Beach: Beach
- Favorite Sport (to watch): Hockey. GO STARS!
- Favorite Sport (to play): ha ha
- As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: I’m certain I never had a clue
- French Fries or Onion Rings: French fries
- Favorite Breakfast Food: Avocado toast or bacon
What are you most excited about in the coming year?
In the Fall of 2025, we are excited to add dorm room transformations to our Mentoring Program activities! The goal of each dorm room design is to create a personal space that suits the unique personality and style of the college student. Whether it is a new space for a student or an existing dorm room that needs personalized improvement, the transformation will help the student feel at home and achieve academic success!
Eligible applicants are former foster care individuals who have aged out of the system, enrolled in post-secondary education, and live in college dorms. Applications for dorm transformations will be open by June 2025. Inquiries can be e-mailed to programs@empower7.org.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.empower7.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empower7org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empower7org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empower7org
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Empower7org
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCNuQf8Ey-pmZciQJSObXOw
