During a May 19 rally at the corner of West Corcoran Place and Central Avenue, I spoke to Min. Chris Burton, a mentor and head of his own prison ministry. Burton is also the vice president of Jehovah Jireh #1 Outreach Ministry, which focuses on flooding places on the West and South Sides with positive vibes, often in the aftermath of violence.
As I child, I was subjected to drugs and alcohol. My mentors were pimps, players, dope fiends and gangbangers. At 10 years old, I got recruited into a gang. At 16, I became a gang leader. I was a minister of the Four Corner Hustlers for over 20 years.
That l life led me to prison. In prison, I got it turned around. I began to mentor right there in prison. I began to chair self-help groups. I got out in 1997. In 2001, I started working with the Agape Youth Center, where I became a mentor and I’ve been mentoring ever since.
On the effect of rallies his organization holds
With all the entities coming together, it gives them courage and hope that they can come out too. By all of us coming together, we feed the community, give away coats and get people engaged. This shows young people that somebody cares.
