About us// Oscar Reed  

Oscar Reed's Gallery

    Oscar Reed has experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in his professional and personal life.  Oscar grew up in the South and overcame many hardships as the son of sharecropper parents on a Mississippi plantation.  At an early age, his family decided to try and find a better life, so they settled in Memphis, Tennessee where he attended Booker T. Washington High School. He developed his skills in sports and won a college scholarship.  After a successful college career at Colorado State University, he became a standout professional running-back for the NFL Minnesota Vikings for nine years, seven of which were championship seasons.  After his football career he became a business owner, craftsman and community youth advocate.  He was appointed by the city of Minneapolis to the position of Youth Programs Director/Coordinator where he developed, implemented and directed programs for youth and families in Minneapolis Public Housing Authority for fifteen years.  He is co-founder of “Life’s Missing Link Inc.”, a non-profit youth and family service agency in Minneapolis where he was Director of the Community Empowerment and Prevention Program.  Oscar has dedicated the past twenty five years of his life to youth; primarily low-income, challenged youth and families in Minneapolis’ inner city.

     Oscar serves on a number of boards and committees serving youth and families.  He serves as a friend and mentor for youth by sharing lessons learned from his life experiences in leadership, team building skills and overcoming obstacles to achieve personal goals.  He has an extensive background in Restorative Justice training, developing and directing many youth programs within schools across the country.  His involvement includes youth employment, youth development and pre-apprenticeship programs.  Oscar’s mission is “to help save our children one child at a time”