I am Joseph Dinnon, C.E.O. of  The Bricks Foundation. My goal was to create a powerful positive organization around the Alief, TX area. I am originally from the Southwest area of Houston which I moved to in 1998 to an area called Forum Park. From here I attended the nearby middle school known as E.A. Olle Middle. Coming from the area of West Airport Fondren and Braeswood I was under the impression that it would be a more upper class environment. As time passed I realized that the Alief area was rougher then I could imagine. While attending Olle I was surrounded by the biggest gangs in Alief the BD’s (Black Desciples) and the Southwest Cholas. At the time Olle had a lot of lower income families at one school. Mostly families from Spice Lane, Corporate Drive, Forum Park, Leawood all in one building. This was all new to me being that I was not from this area most of my classmates knew each other. I was the new kid in the 7th grade that tried to play sports but never could due to grades. My mother was a single parent so coming up we had barely enough basically whatever my mother could afford. 
High school years were a struggling time for me because my mom ended up in jail for receiving food stamps for my brother. My brother at the time was staying back and forth with his birth Dad and his birth dad’s mother pressed charges on my mom saying that my brother stayed with them majority of the time. She had animosity with my mother anyway and did this to her out of spite not taking into consideration that my brother and I would be hurt the most. After my mom got locked up my brother and I were on our own, waking ourselves up for school, grooming ourselves, feeding ourselves etc. My brother is a year older than me so he went to ALC while I was at Olle. Shortly after my brother and I were separated, he stayed with his Dad’s side of the family and my mom’s side of the family took me. I went my first two years of Highschool without my mother. Which led to me running with a couple of friends from school. My grandmother let me stay with her and we were really close. She got real sick by the time my mother made it home from jail. When my mother came home we got an apartment that shortly after caught on fire from a neighbor’s apartment. We lost everything, had to live back with my grandmother, and start all over again. After being there with my grandmother she ended up getting even sicker and passed away November 14, 2004. I was already staying with a couple of homies sometimes so I just left and had nowhere else to go. I went to my friend’s house and his mom took me in and let me live with them. This is where I really took on the street life and started running with some of the roughest and toughest guys in the neighborhood. From there I learned the real meaning of trying to be grown. My mother always kept an apartment around the southwest area but I never wanted to go back. I was starting to see how the streets really worked. I saw a lot of people hustling all my life but I never wanted to be like them. I can say I was never a follower, I always thought about what I did before I act on it. I witnessed over 40 of my friends either die or go to jail. One thing in life that stood out and made me really think wisely is when I experienced my best friend who was more like a brother commit suicide. He took his own life and the life of his girlfriend. They were still teenagers when it occurred. March 12, 2007 changed my life forever. My brother wanted so much in life, he always wanted to change our community so over time I truly believe this is God and My Brother working through me. Gave me a new vision, focus, and motivated me to make a difference in Alief. My goals are to better myself, my people, and my surroundings. I won’t to be a big brother to those who need one in their life. Planning on changing Alief into a better community for the youth coming up. It’s not that much you can do in this area. There are only two basketball courts in one or two places to play football or soccer, and only one place to play baseball. Leaving the youth with limited options. So as an adult I see where the younger youth need support. As a single man off and on working without enough funds as I wish I could have to supply my ideas. I decided to come up with some type of idea to help the youth. 
My first project I planned a back to school drive and a fundraiser event to supply 30 kids back packs full of school supplies. I was planning for 5 weeks when 3 weeks went by a couple of organizations reached out once they saw it was coming together with Houston rapper Trae the Truth, Two Sisters with Helping Hands, Football player Antonio Smith, The Small People with Big Challenges, plus one of Alief’s biggest youth mentors right now Mr. Wickliffe and Mike Miller. We joined together passed out over 100 backpacks full of supplies. After my first turn out I felt I needed to do more but with limited funds I had to come up with some kind of idea to help. That’s when I created Alief vs Everybody. I joined ideas with a friend at that time who had his own pressing company and he pressed my first 50 Alief vs Everybody shirts. I paid him all costs and kept it going now I use the gear as the funds to front for any future ideas for the community I plan on supporting. I’m very well known around Alief and believe I can make a difference in the area. Since then I have teamed up with so many organizations including Two Sisters Helping Hand Organization we have went downtown for Thanksgiving and gave out blankets, hygiene supplies, snack bags, etc. to different families outside the Women’s Shelter. I also was involved in the rehabilitation of the Spice Lane Basketball Court Project. I created my own Hurricane Harvey Movement, Capo Winter Warmth Movement, Apple City All Stars Basketball Team, The Brick Foundation Mentoring Program, and C.A.P.O. Organization “Community Advancing Providing Opportunities.  The project with rehabilitating the Basketball Court for Spice Lane was very special project to my community. The court was turned into a beautiful site and play area for all kids. It was closed over 10 years because a lot of bad things have happened on the street and in this area. We made a plan to change the area and we did. 
Fast forwarding to 2015 I turned my efforts to focusing on the youth males in the area and created a basketball team called Alief All- Stars. Servicing boys 3rd-12th grade. My basketball team does not just focus on the fundamentals of sports but building character, discipline, and morals. Throughout the year I host atleast 25 different events that cater to the needs of the community. From my Back to School Event that now gives away over 800 backpacks full of supplies to kids throughout the community. At my event we have games, prizes, free food and beverages, gently used and new uniforms, shoes, bicycles, water slides, bounce houses. Last year at Capo Day I was able to connect with vendors and businesses to provide free haircuts for boys, hair dos for girls, and nails done for girls absolutely free. This year will mark the 6th Annual Capo Day event. I started my own Hurricane Harvey movement, rescuing families from the flood, assisting them with finding shelter, and donating food, hygiene products, clothes, shoes, coats, blankets, and perishable items. We also served hot meals to shelters and throughout the community. We helped over 2000 individuals during that time and even after it had passed by helping families relocate, volunteering in the rebuilding and clean up process to neighborhoods. Our team linked up with Alief I.S.D to assist with donations and Trae the Truth to travel to North Houston and surrounding areas in need.
Working in the Alief ISD district as a volunteer and mentor has been such a joy for me. It has given me the ability to start my own Mentor program “The Bricks Foundation,” throughout the school district. Currently we have the program two days a week at O’Donnell Middle School and visit Olle once a week. Where I go into different schools throughout the district mainly O’Donnell Middle School, Olle, Albright, Killough, Crossroads, and ALC, and mentor a group of students that are having severe issues behavior and educational. My team and I involve have daily activities and lessons to build character, overcome adversities, and build future leaders. These students interact in community events volunteering, we visit the school to make sure they are staying on task, we also become a Big Brother and Big Sister for them to talk to when they need some words of wisdom. I also connected with Santa Maria Hostel Women’s Shelter to provide for the moms and children that are currently enrolled at their site. This shelter helps mothers that are facing jail time, custody battles, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence victims, and homelessness. On site the mothers and children are unable to have cell phones and other forms of technology for their protection. For my birthday last year I was blessed with funds to celebrate my birthday. I took those funds and bought toys, learning material, coloring books, dolls, race cars, puzzles, and created a Youth Center on site for the students to be able to interact, learn, and play daily. We named it “The Apple Center.” We also had a fun filled day on site to celebrate their new play zone and my birthday.  I believe that my efforts are paying off in a major way. It has never been about the accolades but all about the amount of change one can truly make.
I was totally blind sided when I received a phone call that the city of Houston and Mayor Sylvester Turner wanted to honor me for my efforts. Filled with joy to receive this accomplishment I was nominated a proclamation and designated August 14 as Joseph (Capo) Dinnon day in the city of Houston. So every year I will continue to celebrate by doing what I love to do which is giving back to the community. So I celebrate by having my Back to School Event C.A.P.O. Day. This is one of my greatest accomplishments and let me know that my efforts don’t go unnoticed. Honestly, I could go on and on about the projects that I love to do yearly helping out the city of Houston but I will save you the time and list some of our events.
Since this accomplishment my organization has grown and received many more accolades and recognitions including: Houston Hometown Hero Award, Alief ISD Partners of the Community Award, Echo Award for Most Effective Business, and many more.
This year has been an awesome year our organization has extended our Mentor Program in Alief Isd in 3 schools Olle Middle, O’Donnell Middle, and Albright Middle. We also have our Summer Camp where students interact with our organization and go on fun trips every Saturday for the entire summer going to the movies, museums, amusement parks, tour of the fire station, and so much more!
Our relief department also made a big step in helping with advocating for 4 year old Maleah Davis Houston’s Princess who went missing and remains were found in Arkansas. Our organization has been aired on the news at our candle light vigils, teddy bear gatherings, rallying to find her, and sending out the message of how important it is to protect our children. 
We were excited to partner with so many organizations and vendors this year at our 6th Annual Capo Day Back to School Water Festival our Vendors included: HUNGRY HOWIES, KROGER, HEB, WALMART, ALIEF ISD, TWO SISTERS HELPING HANDS, GOOD NEWS CHURCH, BIG BOI’S CRAWFISH HOLE, ICE PALACE, AIRCRAFT BALLOONS, TINY HAIR INC, HEADS UP HOUSTON SPORTS, BOSS UP HAIRTIQUE, THE SUPREME LIFE COMPANY, C.C. YUM YUM’S, TRAPPRINCESS HAIR, BEAUTY MIXER, MEAGON’S MY STYLIST, ALIEF TITANS, PRETTY GIRL INC., FUEGO STORES, UNTOUCHABLES ELITE COMMUNITY, AND SO MANY MORE. This year we are invited all of our families out on August 10, 2019 3-7p.m. at Good News Church 8400 Boone Road Houston, Texas 77072 for a day of Water Festival Fun which includes free backpacks filled with supplies, free haircuts, hair styles, manicures, uniforms, games, water slides, bounce houses, free food, and so much more!!!!

Our organization reaches out to the community to help in so many ways here are a few of our projects and events:
Capo Winter Weather Warmth Movement – helped feed over 2500 meals to the homeless, provide them with covers, blankets, free tents, shoes, snacks, hygiene products, hot meals, and coats for 8 weeks during the coldest days here in Houston.
The Camp C.A.P.O. Adventure- This year was our second year to Team up with Y.M.C.A. Camp Cullen we took 100 students during Spring Break to enjoy 4 days and 3 nights of camping fun.
The Bricks Foundation Mentoring Program – Alief ISD Building future leaders, program is for students 7-18, and the give back program is after highschool where students come back and mentor younger students. 
Alief Apple City All Stars Basketball /  Dance & Cheer : For boys and girls
Alief Easter Egg Hunt
Houston History Event: we visit historical areas in the Houston and Alief area so students can be educated about their surroundings and their history. We visit Alief Cemetary, the first school in Alief, historical homes and neighborhoods, monumental sites, museums and so much more. 
Capo Bowling Night
Capo’s Summer Camp – 11 week program students interact in fun educational programs that are targeted around fun, education, community service, health and wellness, and making a difference. 
Capo Day Back to School 3 day event- in honor of Capo Day in Houston 8/14 capo does a three day celebration from FRIDAY TO SUNDAY. Special event bowling night fundraiser, capo day back to school event water festival, and street giveaway where we visit the roughest areas in Houston and give out backpacks and supplies.  
Capo DAY 08-14 IN Houston Tx
Capo Street Giveaway
Capo Halloween Celebration- trunk or treat or location celebration giving kids a safe place to celebrate, party and have fun for Halloween. 
Capo Breast Cancer Awareness Event- in honor of all the survivors and those that have past on from the fight of cancer we celebrate with a all pink event 
Thanksgiving Give Back Project- fundraising for thanksgiving food items, blankets, coats, shoes, clothes, tents that are needed for the less fortunate families and homeless, we go downtown and feed the homeless a hot meal, provide beverage, hygiene products, socks.
Thanksgiving Dinner- CAPO holds a dinner and invites everyone from the community to come and eat thanksgiving dinner with us for free. We also have games and activities
Christmas Celebration / Donations- toy drive to raise over 1000 toys for boys and girls we provide toys, clothes, socks, coats, blankets, food items for families in need and visit the homeless to feed a hot meal and provide items on Christmas day. 
Just to name a few……………
In the end we just want to make a difference even in the smallest way to help those in need no matter their age, nationality, religion, or background. We feel it is our duty to get as many others involved so we can change the world around us. We hope that our efforts will be a boost of encouragement to motivate others.