M.L. Carr’s vision of an online resource for young people and their families is heavily rooted in his many years of experience with New England area youth whom he visited for over two decades.  Those years were spent going into middle and high school auditoriums filled with children who had questions, concerns and interests that were not being addressed. Unwilling and afraid to communicate their problems or admit their true interests, and without any non-traditional outreach alternatives, the individuals became increasingly isolated and withdrawn.

To a lesser degree, Carr believed that many young people, embarking on the inevitably difficult path of adolescent years, so dramatically fear peer criticism and/or parental rebuke, that they often detach themselves from traditional sources of help and guidance such as parents, teachers, guidance counselors and mentors.  Feeling that they have nowhere to turn for counsel and suffering from eroded self-esteem, young people can make some very poor decisions; some, unfortunately, with dire consequences.
 
Carr initially experienced this first hand during the late `80s when, as a recently retired Boston Celtic, he collaborated with Bank of Boston on the “M.L. Carr Challenge – Stand Tall Against Drugs” campaign aimed at middle-school students throughout Massachusetts.  He met many young people at numerous school assemblies where he encouraged the youngsters to “keep the lines of communication open with their families” when faced with problems, but they admitted that they often felt uncomfortable discussing these topics with their parents.

Similarly, he discovered that many parents were frustrated with their attempts to talk with their children or felt inadequately equipped to engage their child in discussion, analyze their problems and/or offer sound advice.

In typical Carr fashion, the NBA Champion and author of “Winning Through Persistence” saw an opportunity not a problem, and recognizing the anonymity and 24-hour availability of the Internet, set out to create a highly reliable and contemporary online resource for young people and their families that would effectively address “silent suffering.”

Furthermore, Carr’s vision for the website was focused on the inspirational belief that despite our imperfections, lack of experience or acclaim, We’re All Role Models (WARM).  It’s an empowering affirmation that is capable of motivating individuals to recognize the capability they possess and to take the proper steps to realize that potential.  To enhance that belief, and to offer compelling reasons for young people to visit the web site, Carr recruited numerous celebrity role models to share candid and sometimes surprising insights into their own lives, ranging from Boston native and BET host, Marie “Free” Wright, to his former Celtic teammate, Larry Bird; country singer, Tim McGraw; soccer star, Mia Hamm and actor, Jason Biggs.

Interspersed among these well known figures are “everyday heroes,” young people and adults who without fanfare and out of the limelight have overcome significant challenges and achieved personal “championships,” underscoring Carr’s belief that We’re All Role Models.

To achieve WARM2K’s online resource goal to inform, inspire and instruct, Carr has collaborated on the site’s content with nationally recognized family therapist Dr. Lonnie Carton, director of Family Support Services for Boston Partners in Education and senior editor of “Education Today,” a national publication for families of school-age children.  Dr. Carton, host of CBS Radio’s longest-running feature, “In the Learning Center,” is the author of “No! Is a Love Word.”

Dr. Carton frequently tells parents that the middle-school and high-school years, while sometimes difficult, can provide a wealth of opportunities for parents and children to strengthen their relationship and to prepare children for the challenges they’ll face beyond adolescence.

For many of the same reasons that young people gravitate to the WARM2K web site, corporations have embraced it as an effective employee gift.  Employers, recognizing that many of their employees are also parents, have begun to offer WARM2K memberships as part of their company benefits package, based on the premise that a healthy family life will favorably impact an employee’s well being and productivity.   An entire portal of the web site is dedicated to parents with the express goal of offering them an anonymous and 24-hour resource guide for parenting and connecting with their teens.

Ideally, parents and their children will “converge” at WARM2K to solve problems, find answers, and discover inspiration that will eliminate silent suffering and allow them to realize their fullest potential.