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Profiles: Seven Hampton 'credible messengers' honored for mentoring, job-readiness and reentry work
Summary
Council spotlight recognized Adrian Cook, Reggie Gatlin, Martez Gurley L, Khaled Karam, George Keenan, Troy Ketchmore and Darryl Redmond for mentoring, job training, reentry assistance and community violence intervention.
Hampton's Spotlight program profiled seven individuals who use lived experience to mentor youth, support reentry and intervene in violent situations.
Brian Marchese described each honoree's background and work: Adrian Cook, who runs a nonprofit serving court-referred youth and last month helped 20 young people find jobs while working with 39 individuals individually; Reggie Gatlin, who transitioned from gang involvement to mentoring and was represented at the event by John Davis; Martez Gurley L, who founded Madeline's Project after a family tragedy and focuses on creative programming and entrepreneurship for teens; Khaled Karam, credited with more than 25 years of violence-interruption work; George Keenan, who began mentoring while incarcerated and now works with youth in Phoebus; Troy Ketchmore, who after 27 years in prison founded Catch More Kids and supports GED attainment and crisis intervention; and Darryl Redmond, a certified violence interrupter and peer recovery specialist who emphasizes trauma-informed care.
Speakers repeatedly emphasized the value of credibility and lived experience in connecting with young people who do not always respond to traditional approaches. The event was ceremonial and celebratory; there were no policy votes tied to the recognitions.
