Bourbon County group works to address violence in the community
Voyage Movement receives anti-violence grant to expand work A new grant from One Lexington, Kentucky, is helping grassroots organizations like Bourbon County’s Voyage Movement address violence and at-risk youth in the community. The group, which stands for Voices of Youth Administering Global Education, is dedicated to empowering youth to be leaders and pave the way for a brighter future themselves. The center is less than a five-minute walk from Bourbon County High School and is where kids stop in before and after school for a daily snack or meal, or to speak with leaders and mentors about their day. Terry Dumphord, the founder of the Voyages, says their work is similar to those of other communities across the country with similar principles.
Publicados : um ano atrás por Sabriel Metcalf no
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A new grant to address violence and at-risk youth in Lexington is helping grassroots organizations like Bourbon County’s Voyage Movement. Voyage Movement, which stands for Voices of Youth Administering Global Education, in Paris, Ky., is dedicated to empowering youth to be leaders and pave the way for a brighter future themselves.
Members of the community say the corner of Seventh Street and Williams’ Street was once a rough place to call home. It’s where the Voyage Movement’s founder, Terry Dumphord, grew up. Dumphord remembers experiencing his first run-ins with the law that sparked change for himself and the neighborhood.
“I was banned from this very corner because I couldn’t come five blocks from Seventh and Williams, but now we own it and are doing such great work,” Dumphord explained.
Those run-ins were well before Dumphord discovered his calling as a community advocate and leader. He and his supporters have now reshaped the heart and center of town, creating a safe place for kids, families and anyone in need.
The center used to be the location of various stores throughout its history on the corner. People in the community shared that it has always been the place for them to gather.
The group is now celebrating two years since the doors to the Voyage Community Center opened and their programs for youth in the area began.
“The community began to gravitate to what we were doing and that let me know we were doing something impactful,” said Anne Gross, Outreach Leader for the Voyage Movement.
The center is less than a five-minute walk from Bourbon County High School. It’s where kids stop in before and after school for a daily snack or meal, or to speak with leaders and mentors about their day. They say anywhere from 20 to 40 kids stop in at a time. The group partners with a list of nonprofits and food companies for resources and support. Lots of support from neighbors in the area makes the center work, too.
“When you go to the store, think about us and grab a pack of water and grab a box of chips and that’s a lot of what this is about,” Dumphord said.
Now, a violence prevention grant from One Lexington, an initiative launched by Lexington to address a recent spike in violence in central Kentucky, is helping the group grow its many programs. One of those programs, for example, provides prom dresses and clothing for high schoolers.
“With the Voyage Movement here, a foundation has been laid and the kids are beginning to respect one another, not just the older people, but respect one another, and that means a lot,” Dumphord said.
Dumphord said their work here in Bourbon County is similar to work taking place across the country, with similar principles.
“With this community, to me, means the same as it does to every community across the nation. We got to uplift and empower our people. But we can’t do that through words, we have to do that through actions and deeds,” he explained.
The movement hopes to spread their self-sufficient neighborhood to others in Kentucky and, with more willing supporters, Dumphord says they will.