Jordon Cook, Founder
A stranger was going after someone else and missed. Instead, he hit me, an innocent kid who was minding my own business, out celebrating life.
I suddenly found myself paralyzed from the waist down, undergoing physical therapy, dealing with physical and emotional challenges, battling with nagging doubts about wanting to live. I felt hopeless and depressed.
Now, fast forward, 27 years later, my mission is to help others who have faced the same daunting challenges brought on by gun violence. I’m still reliant on a wheelchair and deal with physical and emotional issues from the 1996 shooting. But I’m much stronger and want to help others become stronger, too.
Our main goal at A Change Gonna Come is to repurpose people’s lives. You did things one way. We want to get you to look at things in a different way. Just because you have a disability, and felt you were unfairly dealt a bad hand in life, doesn’t mean your life is over. You can get past those hurdles and those dark thunderclouds above and still do great things in life.
We also encourage people impacted by gun violence to go back to the community and mentor youths and help them avoid the misfortunes that come with the dangers of the streets. I still see senseless violence far too often. And too often it involves teenagers who could have chosen a different path had they gotten a little guidance from a wise adult who knows first-hand about street violence.
Corey Davis
Meet Corey Davis. He was born and raised in the mean streets of D.C. At the tender age of 8, his mother tragically died of an overdose. His father wasn’t present in his life, so he ended up being raised by his grandmother, who made sure he was disciplined enough to graduate high school. While she did her best, it wasn’t enough to prevent Corey from falling victim to the streets.
On August 30, 1999, Corey got involved in a neighborhood beef and was shot and seriously wounded. He ended up in a wheelchair as a C-6, C-7 quadriplegic.
These days Corey is doing great. Sure, he has his days when he feels down and out, but he still looks forward to the future when he will be able to walk again.
For now, he’s focusing on helping youth before they become, as he puts it, “a lost cause.”
Deonte Gay
Meet Deonte. He was shot on September 17, 2010, during a store robbery in Washington, D.C. Deonte was an innocent bystander. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He had stopped to buy something when some robbers exchanged gunfire with a store worker. Deonte caught a stray bullet in the neck, landing him in a wheelchair. He was first diagnosed as a C-5 quadriplegic.
He has subsequently been diagnosed as a C-7 quadriplegic, which gives him a better shot at achieving his dream: Walking again.
All he needs now is a place to get additional physical therapy so he can put his best foot forward. (No pun intended)
In the meantime, he wants to work with youth on violence prevention.
Ismail Watkins
Meet Ismail Watkins. He was shot March 6, 1998 when an attempted robbery went awry in Washington, D.C. He was on his way to see his first-born son when he was approached from behind by a guy who told him to give up his money. At first he thought it was someone playing around. So, he turned around, only to hear gunshots. He assumed the guy shot him because he had seen his face and would have been able to identify him.
Ismail paid the consequences for the shooter’s cowardly act. He became wheelchair-bound as a C-4 incomplete quadriplegic.
He spent six months in the hospital, four of them on a ventilator while wearing a halo brace to keep his head and neck in place.
Despite all that, Ismail isn’t surrendering. He’s a true fighter and is working to prevent youths from going down a dangerous road of violence and self-destruction.
Kudos to him. We admire his desire to help the community.
Brice White
Meet Brice. He was a hardworking man who drove trucks around America for 22 years. Hawaii and Alaska are the only two states he has yet to visit, but he remains optimistic about getting there. It’s a testament to his true spirit.
His troubles began in 2013 when he had a stroke, the result of high blood pressure that left him mostly paralyzed and unable to speak for five years.
Still, he’s been able to maintain a great spirit and his trademark infectious smile.
These days he just takes it as it comes. He volunteers in the community when he’s not in physical therapy. He’d like to do more physical therapy, but unfortunately, his insurance won’t cover it.
Brice says being a part of A Change Gonna Come gives him peace of mind knowing he’s not alone. He also sees great benefits in getting out and the fellowship.
Kenneth Womack
Meet Kenneth. He was shot 11 times on the night of December 1, 2012. It was all a misunderstanding. There were rumors his younger brother was snitching. It turned out to be totally false. Unfortunately, the damage had been done. Rumors on the streets, true or not, have consequences. That’s the rules of the street.
Kenny stood up for his family’s reputation. He showed what a standup person he is.
Today, even though he’s a T10 paraplegic, meaning he does not have the ability to move his legs, he still has trunk movement. And he still has hopes of walking again.
In the meantime, he continues with his therapy and work to help youth stay clear of violence.
Kenneth says participating in A Change Gonna Come helps him deal with stress and anger of being in a wheelchair by talking to others with similar disabilities.
Change a life today
As long as poverty, injustice & inequality persist, none of us can truly rest. It doesn’t take much to change a life, Get in touch today and start making the difference.
