Destined to address poverty, inspire change
By Sierra Henry
Published in News on August 22, 2018 5:50 AM
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Members of Destiny Intellect 4 Youth pose for a photo wearing their group shirts that read "What Would Happen If ... Everybody Cared?" during an event they held at the W.A. Foster Center in June. Back row, Jerry Baker, Shirley Weeks, Vic Battle and Cutral Holmes. Front row, Vic Battle Jr., 6, Patrick Williams, and Jaleel Williams, 16.
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Group member Shirley Weeks walks a group of youth inside to eat during the recent Bringing Back the Unity Family Day and book bag giveaway at the Masonic Lodge on Beale Street. Destiny Intellect 4 Youth was one of several community organizations to take part in the Aug. 4 event.
When Jerry Baker helps children in need by giving them backpacks of school supplies, he is reminded of his childhood.
He is reminded of how he would go around town receiving boxes of supplies and try to pay the electric bill with his grandmother. It was these memories that inspired him to found Destiny Intellect Skills 4 Youth, a new nonprofit organization, which Baker created along with friends Patrick Williams and Cutral Holmes.
The organization helps people in the community by providing things like food and school supplies for children, Baker said.
"The stuff that we're doing now -- I was that kid. I remember having to get boxes and stuff like that with my grandma," Baker said. "I was the one going around with her trying to pay the light bill and we just want to let (the kids) know ... don't let nothin' stop them from being what they want to be. It can be done."
Known to his customers as Styles the Barber at Blessed Beauty and Barber, Baker already started holding small donation drives.
Holmes, who had already been working with local nonprofit Inspiring Hope, had to take a step back from the world of nonprofits when he was put on dialysis. That's when he met up with Baker.
"I started reaching out to him (Baker), and we started collaborating on little things. It started to really feel powerful, so we stopped by his shop one day and this guy right here, Pat, was out there manning the grill and reached out to Jerry and said he wanted to hook up," Holmes said.
"We collaborated and started coming together, seeing the dream unfold," he added.
Eventually, the small fundraisers and projects began to grow and before long, it was time to become a formal nonprofit. When it came to deciding on a name, Holmes said one particular name in mind.
"I just laid down, and I couldn't get something off my mind -- it just kept coming up: Destiny Intellect Skills 4 Youth. What is that?" Holmes said.
"I just felt like destiny -- there's no limits on destiny. The intellect, I thought about Jerry, because he's very knowledgeable about a lot of stuff ... And then Pat, I thought about his skills, because when it comes to a grill, this man can burn."
"It just seemed like it connected," he said.
Today, Destiny Intellect Skills 4 Youth has a mission to bring awareness to hunger, poverty, crime and other problems families face in Goldsboro.
"(We wanted) to bring awareness to the struggles that's going on in Goldsboro, which are just all over the world, but we can make an impact here to show the kids we love them, somebody cares, they're not in this by themselves," Holmes said.
"We come together because we want to have an impact on these kids and reach them and let them know once we keep pulling them in, we build a relationship with them."
Destiny Intellect Skills 4 Youth achieved its goal by being a part of the recent Family Unity Day and book bag drive at the C.S. Brown Masonic Lodge No. 782, in early August. During the event, they served food to more than 500 families and gave away nearly 500 book bags full of school supplies to children in need.
"The fire department came out, and they gave out hats, water and all that -- that was beautiful," Baker said. "We had a beautiful time. It brings a smile to my face just talking about it.
"Everybody came together collectively, and we had a common goal and we just attacked that goal."
Destiny Intellect Skills 4 Youth worked in collaboration with Team Dawson, Inspiring Hope and the Mary Wooten Harvey Foundation. It was the organization's second largest event.
"We all came together collectively because we all have the same vision," Baker said, of the second annual event.
The group wanted to make sure to let youth know "you don't have to be out there in the streets. You do have people out here that care about you. We care about you," he said.
The organization also hopes to host an adult prom to raise money and supplies for their second annual Christmas donation drive, where they will give out toys, clothes and school supplies to children and families in need as well as hold a holiday dinner for the community.
New donations can be delivered to Baker at his barbershop at 204 N. Herman St.