EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — In East Cleveland, there’s a group of people leading a new initiative to address how violence, abandonment and poverty are impacting the community.
“It hurts. It hurts a lot. That’s why we have to work even harder to get it back to where it was,” said Reverend Anthony Small Sr. of Starlight Missionary Baptist Church.
As a community leader, Small organized Project S.T.A.R. (Serving Together and Reviving) to help silence the violence and restore what’s been lost.
“If I take care of the people, the people will take care of the community," said Small.
But Small said he can’t do this work alone. So, he’s counting on people like Corey Fields, who will serve as an outreach coordinator, to reach out to young people in the community.
“I did my damage to the community being young so now it’s time for me to give back and help fix the community,” said Fields.
This work is not something Fields said he had in mind.
“When I was being part of the problem, I didn’t really see myself here today,” said Fields.
But Fields said he has a story he believes could be the solution.
“I been to prison and everything, so I feel like I got an amazing story to tell them,” said Fields.
As Fields leads kids and teens down the right path, his uncle, Gregory Tonto-Terrell, is also getting involved with Project S.T.A.R. by helping them find positive things to do rather than being in the streets.
“They have the answers about the violence. What they don’t have answers to is how to go about getting the resources that they need to stop it,” said Tonto-Terrell.
Tonto-Terrell said he’s even working with kids and teens to plan a community love fest and a concert in late August at the Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center to reach out to others.
“They want it. They want the violence to stop,” he said. “Young people have a lot to live for, but they’re ready to die. They’re afraid to live.”
While Tonto-Terrell understands their work won’t be easy, he and Small remain hopeful in the mission of Project S.T.A.R. to save the community.
“My father started it off Jesus first, others second, self-last, so don’t think about yourself. Think about your neighbor. Am I my brother’s keeper? I am,” said Small.
People who want to support Project S.T.A.R. are encouraged to reach out to Starlight Missionary Baptist Church or M-PAC Cleveland.
