William Stout Biography

People frequently ask why I founded Inside Out and why I have been so devoted to the youth in our community.

Following is a short biography:
 

The Beginning
 
I moved to Springfield from Kettering in 1984, at the age of 19, to take a job as an insurance agent for Prudential. As a high school drop out with no experience or local contacts, it was nothing short of a miracle that I acquired the job.
After a short time I became successful in this career, so that by age 21, I was a top producer in the area and in the top 10% of the company.
That is when I began buying investment property. At first intending only to buy a few properties, but before long I had acquired over 50 units, and decided to make it a business.
 
Later on, as the business grew we began a plumbing and electrical business (I had acquired licenses in both fields) as a sideline. At 30 (1995) I had acquired over 150 apartments, was buying, rehabbing and selling nearly a house a month and the P&E business was doing well.

The Change
 
Then, in 1996, everything changed. After a traumatic accident involving my nephew, I reached out to God and became a Christian. Something happened on the inside. Money was no longer the prime motivating factor in my life. I began to see life, and people differently. I had found peace and joy, and wanted to share this knowledge with others. I also became acutely aware of, and far more sensitive to the needs of others. I found myself giving more and taking less. It just seemed like the right thing to do.
 

The Youth
 
I often found myself sharing life principals and good advice. I had a natural desire to spend time teaching and helping others. Early in 1998 I was invited to participate as a volunteer chaplain at the Juvenile Detention Center, and at H.O.P.E. (a Christian ministry to teens on probation). Both of these programs involve an hour long, group meeting each week.
 

The Call
 
I really never intended to become a youth leader. I was actually very satisfied with my business and proud of my accomplishments. I felt like I had reached a point in life where I could afford to volunteer a substantial block of my time (and resources), but there was no intention to found a charity at the start.
 
As time went on, I felt compelled to do more. Sometimes I would stay after the meetings and talk with kids. They always wanted me to spend more time with them. They seemed desperate for someone real who cared about them. They were not the hardcore villains I had thought. They were children, most from rough homes, most with no positive role models. They soon began recognizing me in public, often stopping me to ask advice.
 
The programs I was volunteering with (I still volunteer with both, and am on both Boards), are great programs helping a lot of kids. But these kids needed more. They needed more than a one hour a week meeting were I expound wisdom to the group and then retreat to my quiet suburban home, while they try to make my advice work in the ghetto.
 
They needed relationships. Real, hands on, intensive mentoring. They needed someone who would get involved with them. They needed food. They needed shoes. They needed a safe place to be. They needed love and respect from someone who was not trying to abuse, molest, or use them.
If not me, who? If not now, when?

The Start
 
Still not intending to change careers, I often invited kids to ride to church with me. Before long I nearly always had a car load of teens every Wednesday and Sunday. Church involved a thirty minute drive each way, and I always bought McDonald's afterward, which allowd time for relationship building and mentoring.
Later a small group of young men I was mentoring wanted to start a weekly bible study at my house on Saturday evenings. I agreed, and then often invited kids who had shown an interest in positive change.
A handful of teens would come every week, after the meeting we fed them. They usually would stay overnight and go to Church on Sunday.
As my commitment to the needs of the youth increased, I formed a non-profit corporation to serve as a vehicle for these charitable activities.
As I continued to build relationships with the kids some of them began to see me as a source of stability and help in their often tumultuous lives. Sometimes they would call me when there were troubles at home and school, at places where they used to go over the edge, sometimes they would reach for help. I always went.
 

For Instance
 
One night a 15 year old called me to his house when his mother had broken a broomstick on his 14 year old brother for eating too much. I took the boys to my house that night. The next week I was able to counsel the mother and provide groceries to the family.
Another time a teenage boy came to my office one afternoon. He and a friend had stolen money and valuables from a parked car. They had actually gotten away with the crime, but now his conscience bothered him. ( he never had that problem before) He wanted advice on what to do. Following the spiritual advice of repentance and forgiveness, I advised him to get the items and return them to the person. He reminded me that he was on probation and would certainly go to jail if he did. I agreed, and told him that if he went back he might go to jail, but if he did not he would be a thief, which was worse. He decided to get his friend and go back to the person and admit what they did, if I would go with them (I did).
I could tell a number of other stories like these, of negative circumstances resulting in positive change.
After a year or two, almost without noticing, I was spending more time in this capacity than running my business. In fact I had made the decision to discontinue the plumbing and electrical contracting business, and also stopped buying rehab property. This was necessary in order to invest the tremendous time necessary to build relationships with and mentor these kids. I know it seems a little strange, but I see each one of them as special. I just couldn't look into their eyes and then turn my back.

The Home Vision

In 2000 two of the boys I had spent much time mentoring were having a lot of trouble at home. They had been coming to youth group every Saturday and church every Wed. and Sun, for several months, never missing. They were doing better in school and not getting into any more criminal trouble (both were on probation). Their mother asked if they could stay with me, so I took them in. A few months later I took in two other teen age boys and so had four teenagers living with me. These are the kids that don't fit into any program, there was no funding for them. They are the ones who slip through the cracks of the system.
By this time it was apparent that this was going to take most of my time from now on. I began to envision a home where kids like this could find shelter, safety, food, encouragement and love, regardless of whether or not funding was available. I also envisioned a place where kids could come regularly like our Saturday group, to hang out, have fun, be fed, and most of all build relationships with committed people who are interested in their success.
That is what I had been doing at my home and business, holding meetings every Saturday for several years, opening my office to youth daily throughout the week. At time I had as many as 15 overnight guests at my house. (of course we bought van to get them all to church)
I had always been content funding the bulk of the ministry myself, but now the vision was exceeding my personal ability. In order to meet these needs, I had to communicate the vision to other people who care, and ask for help.
 

Inside Out Youth Now
 
Well that's the timeline in a nutshell. Now our weekly meetings are held at Urban Light on S. Fountain Ave. (another local charity which had collaborated with us to provide space).
In January of this year I married a wonderful lady who has become a partner with me in this. Together we provide family type structure to Springfield's at-risk youth.
We had 4 (and often 5)  kids who actually spent the summer with us.
We recently took custody of a 14 year old boy who will continue to live with us indefinitely.
Each year we provide volunteer work for our kids to earn school clothes and school supplies (by working they build self esteem and sense of accomplishment) We also help with winter coats in the fall.
Last summer I was able to provide jobs to several kids through the apartment business, teaching them skills and providing much needed money.
We continue to meet each Saturday and on each Wed. and Sunday we take as many kids as we can haul in our van to church with us, where we continue the tradition of food at McDonald's.
I continue to be intensely involved in the lives of the kids and their families, often being called on to intercede in crisis at home and at school.
Most notably, we have recently acquired a 6,200 square foot historic home on S. Fountain Ave. which will be the Inside Out Youth Home and resource center. This is a huge undertaking which will cost as much as $190,000.00. When completed, the building will be a life transforming home for young people. In addition the building will have an area where young people can come after school and be mentored and where our volunteers can come and build relationships with them in a safe and stable environment. We will have a computer center with 15+ computers where kids can learn computer skills and have supervised internet access. We also provide kids with their own @IOyouth.com email address as a great way to keep them connected.
 
Work has began! The roof is completed and area businesses and the city have committed over $50,000 in cash and in-kind donations to date to continue changing lives!
 
As much as we love our quiet suburban home, my wife and I will be moving into the Youth Home ourselves in order to be available as mentors and parent figures to our youth.