Byron Story Foundation Aims to Reduce Violence in Community

Along Ridge Avenue in North Philadelphia lies a tall blue building. From the outside, the building, along with most others along this section, doesn’t look overly pleasant. The building displays a sign that reads, “Byron Story Foundation- Alternative Education Violence Prevention Youth Program.” The sign also provides a phone number.

Further investigations turned up a website for the foundation. Although the site has not been updated in some time, it gives background on the organization, tells of events and programs housed by the organization and states their mission to the community.

Byron Story was a young man gunned down in 2002 at the age of 19, shortly after graduating from Glenn Mills School. Story grew up in a poor community where the odds of becoming successful are very slim. He got in some trouble at a young age, but was determined to make something out of his life. Armed with a dream, Story enrolled in Pierce College with plans of beginning his college career the next semester.

Story never had the chance to follow his dreams, as his life was cut short before he could ever attend college. With hopes of preventing anymore senseless murders, Byron’s mother, Juanita Story-Jones decided that something must be done to help guide these underprivileged youth in the right direction.

Just one month after the death of her son, Story-Jones formed the Byron Story Foundation. The foundation’s website states that their mission is to, “enable young people to become self reliant, responsible and caring individuals whom we guide towards pathways aimed at reducing truancy, violence and drugs in our homes, schools and communities.” Some of the programs aimed at achieving these goals include GED preparation classes for the many teens that did not complete high school, summer camps, education activities, arts and crafts, anti-drug and anti-violence programs and training to help with employment.

The foundation plans on moving out of the blue building and into a new orange one right down the street. A construction worker working at the future location of the foundation informed that the foundation will operate out of the new building by July 1, 2008.

For more information visit http://www.byronstoryfnd.com/index.html.

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