Mattapan non-profit 'Youth in Crisis' unifying community to reduce violence
MATTAPAN - For more than twenty years, the non-profit "Youth in Crisis" has been pushing to end violence in Mattapan.
Anthony Seymour runs the program. It started with the idea to clean up Norfolk Park.
"If you go to Norfolk Park now, it's a place where you can play, you can have fun. There's really nobody hanging out. It's just basketball, kids can play in the park. Before it was just a bad park and now crime is down in that area," he told WBZ-TV.
"I think we have to meet people where they are at, number one. I think culturally, the young cohorts have changed and we really have to meet them where they are at and find out what the dynamics are and what they deal with on the day-to-day."
Seymour has gone on to connect police, elected officials and the community. He and his staff make sure everyone is working together.
"A lot of camaraderie amongst people in the community and it's starting to pick up a lot and I see that and people are starting to unify and that's what we need," he said.
Anthony is there for his community and making Mattapan a better place for all, is his mission.
"Everybody calls me 'Big Time' and it's not because I have a lot of money. I just wear compassion on my sleeve. The willingness to help when the help is needed. Plus we need to understand, I always say, 'I'm fast to listen and slow to talk,'" he said.