From Pending Prison Sentence to Helping Kids Follow Their Dreams: Former Professional Baseball Player’s Graffiti Piece Behind His Grammar School Inspires Poetry Book and Foundation

Ryan Lee Nevins creates a series of children’s books and a non-profit foundation inspired by graffiti piece to help kids follow their dreams

NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kids are great at dreaming big, but without anyone in their corner, it can be tricky to make their dreams a reality. “The Character Virtues” by Ryan Lee Nevins is a children’s poetry book that teaches kids the 22 character virtues granted by God that they can use to go the extra mile for themselves and achieve whatever their hearts desire. Nevins has published three children’s books that are geared toward building up kids’ self-esteem and character, something his father did for him as a kid that he now wishes to share with others.


After years of struggling with mental illness, Nevins found graffiti helped keep him stay centered back in 2008. Nevins said that graffiti would calm his symptoms down, but the effect would soon wear off. During that phase of his life, he also had a Religious conversion that brought him back to his childhood faith and eventually lead to him turning himself in for the vandalism. Nevins was facing 4 years in prison but was granted 3 years’ probation. By the end of his probation, Nevins had regained his health and went back to school, and became a peer counselor to use his experience to help others.


During that time He was called to serve in His faith and did so by helping kids follow their dreams and using his writing skills and experience to build their self-esteem and character that they would need to sustain them through the challenges they would face not only in following their dreams but in life. Nevins realized he was called by God to help kids see they can grow into confident, healthy individuals with good character no matter their circumstance, and help guide them to the realizations that they are unconditionally loved by God.  After deeming success can be measured by the number of people you help in a lifetime, he created the Shine Kids Foundation.


“If God can do this with a graffiti piece imagine what He can do with a life. I was called to serve Christ and He let me know that He was not through with me yet and He still had work for me to do and this is it,” Nevins said.


Nevins believes God and helping kids accomplish their goals go together. Through his work, He gives kids the tools to discover that they can be their own hero when they need one, and when they can’t, they know they have God holding their hand to guide them into becoming the person they need most. Twining elements of faith, culture, and ability, Nevins has crafted a novel that will resonate with kids far and wide in their journey to making the world a better place.


*“The Character Virtues”*

By *Ryan Lee Nevins *

ISBN: 9781480891586 (softcover); 9781480891579 (hardcover); 9781480891593 (electronic)

Available at the Archway Publishing Online Bookstore, Amazon and Barnes & Noble


*About the author*

A former professional baseball player, Golden Gloves boxer, New York City marathoner, peer counselor, and award-winning poet from New York City, Ryan Lee Nevins is inspired to help kids through his experiences using poetry and art. He has helped many kids through his volunteer work with organizations such as the St. Kevin Care and Share program, Special Olympics, and working with kids on an individual basis. Ryan created The Shine Kids Foundation to help kids follow their dreams. Visit shinekidsfoundation.com for more information.

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Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kinds, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit www.archwaypublishing.com or call 888-242-5904.

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