PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Hakeem Devore is your everyday guy. He’s the father of a 6-year-old, a business owner, South Philly-born-and-raised, and a concerned community member.
“I lost three family members on Thanksgiving week,” said Devore about tragedy he endured years ago.
“Just losing people, constantly knowing these kids [with] no parents, 10 years from now, I don't want them out here shooting.”
When Hakeem noticed a problem in his community, he decided to use what he knows, and is passionate about making a difference.
“Walking to the playground and just seeing the blight and the trash and stuff like that,” said Devore.
“[We’re] not supposed to just walk by stuff like this, so I just started cleaning up.”
In 2018, he started his own landscaping and construction company. Around that same time, he started what he calls the Inner City Peace Organization.
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It’s a self-funded project where he uses his own tools and resources to clean up and beautify different parks, vacant lots and public spaces around the city.
“It's not hard or time consuming,” said Devore. “A lot of stuff just takes some time and love effort, and you could change and beautify the community.”
He has also invested time and effort into the youth, by teaching them about the trades he’s become an expert at over the past decade – landscaping, the environment and the great outdoors.
“When you give these kids outlets and stuff, they want to do stuff. They don't actually want to be outside doing what they're doing, but we don't have anything for them to do, so that's why we try to create program after program,” said Devore.
“We teach them young, so they like it … they actually look at it as a hobby. And they can make money, their own money, and take care of their family.”
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The Inner City Peace Organization has expanded over the years to meet a number of needs. They host a food pantry downtown on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a carpentry program for the youth, a gun violence prevention youth summer sports league, and a number of other initiatives aimed to help slow climate change and biodiversity loss.
While the efforts are very grassroots, and oftentimes solo-led, Hakeem says he keeps it going because it’s personal for him.
“Growing up, [I watched] my friends die at a young age,” he said.
“I'm 32 now. I’ve got a lot of friends that died 17 years ago … at 15, 14, going to different funerals and just growing up watching those babies come outside and watch them hurt each other, that just doesn't sit right with my heart. The inner city peace is really what we’re pushing for.”
The Inner City Peace Organization updates information about their upcoming cleanups on their Instagram page. All are invited to join.
“I just really want people to understand that they're not alone,” Devore said. “We fight every day.”