Life is too short for games

At the age of 16, DaShawn already had a young son and was on probation. He was sent to Unity House, where is grandmother believed he could be shielded from the problems in their neighborhood.

“At first, everything was a joke,” said De’Mara Cumby, lead youth worker at Unity House. DaShawn liked to be the class clown, talk about girls and follow others into questionable situations.

The staff worked with DaShawn on taking responsibility for his actions, even if it meant admitting to doing something wrong. “If you’re already in trouble, man up,” is the message Cumby and the other youth workers pass along to the young men at Unity House.

“They taught me to stay out of the system and handle my business,” DaShawn said. “The staff at Unity House really helped me. They helped me open my eyes and see that life is too short for games.”

DaShawn spent 10 months at Unity House and returned home in the fall of 2010.  “I ain’t running the streets no more doing what I used to do,” he said. “They taught me to do the right thing.”

DaShawn is now taking care of his 2-year-old son and looking for a job. He plans to return to school.

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