Caring Men & Caring Women, Inc. (CMCW) is a middle-school mentoring program that offers young men and women weekly, one-on-one mentoring from a positive mentor. CMCW provides safe forums where boys and girls are able to discuss the choices they are faced at this critical window of time in their lives. Our goal is to help them to feel valued, supported, heard and encouraged to take responsibility for their actions.

How It All Started

During the summer of 2014, Gregory Long decided to combine his years of experience as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters and create a mentoring program to aid and assist the male students of Bessemer City Middle School in Bessemer, Alabama. With high intensity to get the business started, a name was created for the mentoring program: Caring Men, Inc. His dream had become a reality.

Mr. Long knew he would need an additional facilitator to grow the business, so he asked Ralph Sims to help. Since his hiring Mr. Sims has served as a facilitator, mentor, mentor trainer and recruiter.

Their initial plan was to grow Caring Men, Inc. for two years and then launch Caring Women Inc., a mentoring program for girls, during the 2017-18 school year. However, Mr. Long and Mr. Sims quickly realized the girls side of the mentoring program was needed sooner, so Caring Women, Inc., was created in 2015, providing mentors to female students at Bessemer City Middle School.

In 2018 the two organizations were merged, creating Caring Men & Caring Women, Inc., approved by the IRS as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Our Leadership

CMCW Board of Directors

Gregory Long
CMCW Founder/Executive Director
FOX6 WBRC-TV

Katrena Long
CMCW Executive Assistant
FOX6 WBRC-TV

Maria Frazier
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Marsha Butler
Retired (Corporate Collections)

Regina Vann Willians
Retired – Owner of Vann-Williams Custom Homes

Dr. Kathy Edwards
Miles College & Talladega College Professor

Mike Dubberly
Anchor, FOX6 WBRC-TV Good Day Alabama

Jermelle Pruitt (Jeh Jeh)
Reporter, FOX6 WBRC-TV Good Day Alabama
Anchor, FOX6 WBRC-TV Sideline

About Our Founder and Executive Director

Gregory Long

Understanding the difficulties a child may face being raised in a single parent home, Bessemer-native Gregory Long returned to the city in 2014 to mentor at-risk boys. His initial goal was simply to make a difference in some of the very same schools he attended.

Within three months of launching a pilot program at Bessemer City Middle School, Mr. Long quickly saw growth. Four mentors soon became 12, expanding to the city’s two elementary schools and high school through an in-school tutorial program and a partnership with Lawson State Community College.

Mr. Long is also a professional broadcast TV photojournalist. He began his career in 1990 while obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Communications from Miles College. After graduation he was hired in 1994 by WBRC-TV. Most of his time is spent coordinating interviews and communicating with the public for the TV station’s FOX6 Good Day Alabama morning show. Mr. Long is a certified satellite truck operator and has arranged live broadcasts for TV stations throughout the country. He is well respected in the industry and has received multiple Emmy nominations and an award for his work.

Mr. Long is also an entrepreneur. He founded Long Video Memories, LLC, in 2008. He married his wife, Katrena, in 1997 and has two sons, Kevin and Kaleb, and two grandchildren, Kammeron and Karmyn. He is member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and a member of New Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bessemer, Alabama, where he has served on the Youth Ministry, Recreation Ministry and currently serves on the Deacon and Trustee Ministry.