SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- A southeast San Diego non-profit is working every week to help feed residents. The organization was started by a man who was going down a very different path, but was able to turn things around and make an impact.
On a typical Tuesday, the non-profit Armand King co-founded, Paving Great Futures, gets together with other organizations to give back to their southeast San Diego neighborhoods.
“We operate 3 food distributions weekly for the last 10 months this Tuesday alone we feed over 2,000 individuals.”
The work is very different from what King used to do in the neighborhood. “Impoverished, marginalized communities grew up optionless. Pimping and prostitution became the cool thing, it was.
He ended up serving time in prison on marijuana-related convictions. King says time and experience were what really changed his outlook. “The start of the transition was when my brother was murdered. I was in prison at the time.”
When he got out, he says he started seeing young people just like him head into a life of crime and realized the cycle of death and incarceration was continuing.
Eventually, he started Paving Great Futures, which works to reach out to those in underserved communities, provide mentorship and resources to help young people realize their full potential.
“We had to be the change. We know the problems so close we were part of the problem so now it’s time to be part of the solution.”
King says southeast San Diego is where his heart remains and he knew once the pandemic began he had to do something to help. He says he can’t imagine spending his time in any other way.
“If today was my last day to breathe I was a happy man and let it be known. I like the word you not use but utilize me and let’s help save some lives.”
