Non-violence group to hold ribbon cutting

TIFTON — David Tyrone Barnes would have recently had his 32nd birthday. On Jan. 7,2012 he was murdered, like several others in the Tifton community. However, Barnes' death and other community deaths have led to the birth of events and organizations that fight for the prevention of such tragedies. His family has established the David Tyrone Initiative, Inc. in his honor in hopes of helping and supporting youth in under-served communities.

The David Tyrone Initiative, Inc. and its sister Operation BICOH, Inc. (Building Inclusive Communities of Hope) will be having their ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, July 14, at 4 p.m. The event will take place at 2735-B US Hwy. 41 South. The Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the ribbon-cutting. Shortly after the ribbon-cutting there will be a celebration called the “Support Our Youth Community Event.” The theme is “Love our Neighbor’s Children as we Love Our Own Children” and will be sponsored and hosted by The DTI and BICOH. This event will introduce the community to The David Tyrone Initiative, Inc. and Operation BICOH, Inc.

The Support Our Youth Community Event will be from 4- 8 p.m. and will have "music, food, drinks, and good community fellowship in peace and love," said family member Brenda Lawson. For more information, contact Lawson at (229) 881-5189 or Alicia Ritchie at (305) 321-3124.

The DTI and BICOH are nonprofit organizations whose main objective is to address and educate youth using “Point Resolve” programs created by the organizations. They target and speak to youth with anger management problems and conflict resolution deficit. Point Resolve provides youth with the tools they need to manage and control their anger and resolve conflicts without the use of weapons. Lawson mentions that Point-Resolve involves role-playing activities that depict day-to-day occurrences. These allow young people to realize how they respond to different situations. Programs like these are expected to be helpful in the community, as there are approximately 300 young people in Tift County’s juvenile system.

“The David Tyrone Initiative is a nonprofit organization, with a mission to serve humanity’s most vulnerable population in society: young black men, women, and other minorities who lives work and play in our community. Strive to always treat them with compassion, respect, dignity, and most of all love," said Lawson.

"Our goal is to help lift up spirits by tearing down walls, not the people we serve. To never sit in judgment of those we help; however, but to support them in becoming the best that they can be. Strive to save human lives by helping to remove guns off the streets and to stop the killing of black men, women, and other minorities in our community. The David Tyrone Initiative will provide positive guidance and lifelong direction to all young black men, women, and other poverty stricken minorities who are at risk in our community. We will provide educational directions and professional skills, anger management services /coping and adjustment skills due to life changes. We will teach resolution skills and will teach problem solving skills for conflicts without the use of weapons. Our goal in life is to show your life is important, my life is important too. Your life is worth respecting, and my life is worth respecting too, your life is worth living and my life is worth living too. With God our Father in our life we can change anything negative to a positive. One step at a time, one day at a time. United we can stand against the violent behavior in our community.”

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Non-violence group to hold ribbon cutting

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