Moms on the Move with Linda Swain

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Juanita Jones

Juanita Jones had lived through what every mother fears most, her 19 year old son was senselessly shot and killed on the inner city streets. Now she's making big changes in her community to spare other moms the same fate.

Website(s):

http://www.byronstoryfnd.com

Transcript From The Show

Juanita - I'm just trying to provide new pathways for these youths.

Renika - I was getting high. I was on the run for 3 yrs., I wasn't going to court, and I wasn't seeing my probation officer. I just wasn't doing anything I was supposed to do.

Juanita - I'm trying to reduce the violent acts amongst teenagers.

Mustafa - I was staying out all night dealing drugs, smoking, doing everything I wanted to do.

Juanita - I'm trying to reduce the number of deaths.

Jamilla - I was locked up for two months, I was struggling, I was like if I did get out I was just planning to come back out on the streets and do whatever

Juanita - I'm trying to build the North Philadelphia community.

Michael - I just came home in November 24th from being locked up and I needed to get my GED and a fresh new start.

And the fresh new start these kids so desperately needed they found at the Byron Story Foundation. It was created in 2002 by its director, Juanita Story Jones in memory of her son, Byron, and other youths who have died at the hands of violence.

Juanita - We get youths that come from the Juvenile Justice System. That comes out from disciplinary schools and the public school district. Our target youths are 15-18.

Juanita- We do the pre-GED testing which they have passed with the highest scores. We also do behavior management.

Juanita - Ok, we then did our positive words. What are some of the words that you have on your paper, Mr. Mustafa?

Mustafa - Thoughtful, positive, respectful, dependable and reliable.

Nicholas - Caring, educated.

Jamilla - Sweet, funny and loving.

Juanita - We're just trying to develop their talent, bring out their creativity and we seem to be doing that here.

Linda - You've experienced the worst possible nightmare of a mother, how did you pick yourself up and begin this great work?

Juanita - It might seem funny, but I guess God knew that he had to give me something to do so that I could continue to live and he just placed it in my spirit to start a program, because what I really wanted to do, is to stop another mother feeling what I felt when Byron died.

Juanita: Byron was a very smart, intelligent, handsome, good looking, young man.

Juanita - He was at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Linda - Byron had a friend who owed drug money?

Juanita - Uh-huh, and the guy came one night at about 2:00 Sunday morning and shot them both. He shot Byron in the head.

Linda - What about all these kids getting in trouble?

Juanita- They are probably the ones that if nobody helped them in life, are to be the ones to kill somebody else. So, I wanted to tap into them, you know, I know I can't just stop the killing, but I can reduce it.

Juanita- That is my mission.

And part of her mission is arranging an annual healing service for parents who lost their children to tragic deaths.

Juanita - The youths here wanted to give something to the families to relieve them of some of their suffering.

Michael - The dove symbolizes union, sticking together. The hand is together we stand and these two people, divided we fall.

Juanita - This is God to catch you when you fall and this is a student learning to become a man and live and honest life.

And her mother Dolly, husband, James and sons Mickell and Fatim share Juanita’s honest life of service for the Foundation.

Linda- What do you see for your boys in the future?

Juanita - I see a lot of great success in my kids, they appreciate life and they know how short your life can be taken away, every fundraiser, my kids participated in.

Juanita - So what we come from North Philadelphia, we can still achieve your greatest dreams.

Renika - I'll be going away to college.

Mustafa - Being here has got me real focused.

Jamilla - The Byron Story Foundation has changed my life from bad to the good to doing everything right. Sometimes I still struggle, but they're always here, no matter what I do they show they care. Love, Jamilla

Juanita - When I see Michael, the first one, he is here every morning when I pull up to that gate, you know, every morning, 8:00, you know what I mean, cause he doesn’t have place else to go.

Michael - I just made a lot of mistakes and now I'm just here and I thank God everyday that I get up and I'm happy to come here, this is my home away from home.

Juanita - You know what, we don't open up til' 9, but you're here, and the blessing is that he does have a place to come to and I try to get here, believe me, before 8:00.

Linda - You don't mind getting up at 8:00 in the morning?

Juanita - He'll be here at 8:00 in the morning.

Michael - And the program doesn't even start until 9. I'm always here, 8:00 sharp.

Juanita - We need to build our community up and then we can stop all this violence because the more you put in it, the more you'll get out of it.

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