Local youth to host awareness forum

A group of young people in Danville wants to tackle serious issues affecting youth everywhere and at home, such as violence, drugs, gangs and teenage pregnancy.

Most of all, they want to promote hope.

The Youth Service Core of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Danville Area started planning a youth community awareness forum after 14-year-old Lamonte “CoCo” Stone was killed by gunfire on Madison Street at the end of October, said unit director Carmina Eder. Kids asked leaders at the Boys & Girls Club how they could stop such violence from happening again.

YSC is group of young people dedicated to giving back to the community through various pro-jects. The youth have been involved in every aspect of the event planning and will host and facilitate the breakfast, sessions, luncheon and panel from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 19. Pittsylvania County Community Action is helping to sponsor the event.

“We’re making a change,” said 16-year-old club secretary Caleb Jackson of Danville. “We want everybody to come because it takes more than a small amount of people to get out the message.”

YSC President Jovan Jackson would like both adults and young people ages 11 and up to attend the forum and hear the message of “Hope is Not Extinct.”

Luncheon keynote speakers include former gang leader turned motivational speaker Joseph Jennings of Second Chances Outreach and Lonise Bias, mother of the late basketball player Len Bias, who died a drug-related death two days after being drafted to the Boston Celtics.

What do the members of YSC hope for? They say a better Danville and a better future for young people. They want to make young people aware of the consequences of certain actions before they have to find out first-hand.

Twelve-year-old Dashawn Farmer of Blairs hopes to play for the NBA. Jennifer Rodriquez, 11 of Danville, hopes to be an art teacher. Jovan Jackson hopes to be an auto mechanic.

“Each and every one of us as young people have a chance to better our lives and make a differ-ence so our community won’t go toward the negative,” Caleb Jackson emphasized.

Thirteen-year-old club Vice President Lamar Redd of Danville told the others how a boy he grew up with was shot in a park while playing dice. Danville 13-year-old Miles Swanson said the city needs to change to end the violence.

“People always think young people cause bad things to happen,” Redd said “Some of us aren’t out there on the streets. We’re trying to better the community as well.”

Eder hopes youth involvement will bridge the gap between adults and young people. She wants to fill the Boys & Girls building on Foster Street with as many people as it can hold — 600.

“We just want everybody,” Eder said. “We want to come together as a community and make Danville a wonderful place to live.”

If You Go
Dec. 19, Saturday
Free continental breakfast and lunch
“Colors Down” Youth Community Awareness Forum
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Danville Area
123 Foster St.
8:30-9 a.m.: Sign in and registration
Breakout sessions:
9-9:35 a.m. neighborhood watch, local gang awareness, class action
10-10:35 a.m. prescription drugs, “Y Say Goodbye to Gangs,” and WIA
10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Special Agent Mark Campbell
12:30-3:25 p.m. keynote luncheon with Lonise Bias, Joseph Jennings
3:30-4:45 p.m. premature parenting, youth panel discussion, community forum
For more information and to RSVP by Dec. 14, contact (434) 792-6617 or e-mail .
Security will be provided.