The people behind MCOI
Decades of work with men, families and young people, rooted in faith and community.
Hey, I'm Eustace!
I'm Eustace D. Payne, Jr.: author, ordained minister, nonprofit leader, REALTOR®, mentor, and former state and federal probation officer. For more than 30 years I've worked with men and families through incarceration, reentry, fatherhood, faith and life's big transitions.
I believe lasting change starts when a person changes what they believe about themselves and what's possible. That conviction led me to found MCOI in 2009. Since then, men we've worked with have gone back to school, started businesses, bought homes and reconnected with their families.
MCOI's work was recognized when I was named a 2026 Good Neighbor Awards finalist by the National Association of REALTORS®. I'm also the author of Chasin' God, Not Church, a book about authentic faith.
Today my focus, through MCOI's Emerge initiative, is helping men with identity, fatherhood, relationships, leadership, faith and purpose.
Hey, I'm Teresa!
I'm an educator with more than three decades in high school classrooms and alternative education. A Brown University graduate, I taught mathematics, and I've also served as a minister, offering spiritual guidance and helping communities grow stronger.
In the classroom I watched students get bullied for being smart and for being themselves. Together with my husband, I've worked to help young people set healthy boundaries and find their voices.
My life's work is about education, faith and the well-being of children.
Volunteers and mentors
Our volunteers and mentors give their time and guidance freely. Many become role models and advocates for the children, men and families they walk alongside.
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Your gift supports mentoring for men, anti-bullying work with youth, and stronger families across our communities.
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