Teens looking to change their DC neighborhood

By Lorenzo Hall

WASHINGTON — The sight is rare. Four DC teens spent Wednesday night looking for more work. Work that doesn’t pay.

Sixteen-year old, Akin Woodward started the group, Network Teens with his mother. He got a few friends together to volunteer around the District.

“We’ll brainstorm ideas of what we want to do and then we’ll pick a Saturday and do those things,” said Woodward.

The group’s brainstorming lead them to the “My Brother’s Keeper Fair,” at the Convention Center Wednesday.

There, different organizations were recruiting mentors for young black men in DC and also volunteers for community service projects.

“It’s not enough to point from the sidelines. You have to have some skin in the game. This is all about getting some skin in the game,” said Delano Hunter, Chief Service Officer of Serve DC.

Akin and his friends said they’re trying to get more teens off the streets because of the violence they’re witnessing outside of their front door. They say it’s embarrassing.

“When you are the same race, you make your race look bad or worse than it is because it’s hard for black people in general,” said Dorian Hunter.

It’s been particularly hard in communities terrorized by crooks.

Ninety-nine families have had to bury a murdered loved one in DC so far this year, 26 more than this time last year, including the family of a 10-year old.

The teens hope they can be the group to finally change some of DC’s notoriously violent neighborhoods.

“We can be some of the good teenagers who actually help and didn’t’ mess it up,” said Hunter.

Click here if you’d like to volunteer.