Fourteen-year-old Damien Chavis said the meetings help him “learn about trust, and not to carry a gun. And Mr. Hammonds tells us everything that happened with him, and how he saw dead bodies, and how he doesn’t want us to go through that.”
Hammonds II actually founded two previous programs last year; Reach and Teach, and Strides of Confidence. In the Reach and Teach program, he found that “a lot of our kids were becoming followers because they had no knowledge of self, so we would use African American films to teach about our culture and our history at the Penn Hills Cinema,” he said. The other program, Strides of Confidence, helped kids, veterans and others in need with tangible items. Both programs are now being run by the American Legion, Hammonds II said. He wanted Hammonds Initiative, of which the Pipeline to Purpose program is a subsidiary, to focus exclusively on violence intervention, prevention and mentorship.
“That’s what’s plaguing our community the most,” Hammonds II said. “I want the kids to know that they have a purpose, and it’s up to them to make sure they continue on that path to fulfill their purpose. The worst thing a man can do is die with untapped potential.”
Hammonds II thanked Penn Hills YMCA executive director Thomas Wallace for allowing the weekly meetings at the center, free of charge. Hammonds II said the Thursday 6 p.m. meetings are open to any youth, and his goal is to hold sessions four days per week. Registrations from a parent or guardian can be made at www.hammondsinitiative.org, or by calling 412-452-7385.
“He teaches us to be aware of your surroundings, and decision-making, stuff that you do that can harm your future,” said program participant Edward Daniels, 15. “Since we’re young, some adults don’t understand the stuff we go through, whether it’s sports, females, anything.”
But Hammonds II understands. “He’s been there and so he knows how it is,” Daniels, a Penn Hills high school student, said. “It’s not as hard explaining it to him.”
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