KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A metro organization is doing its part to give jobs to those who need it most while fighting crime. All the participants have to do is complete a 14-week apprenticeship.
Damon Daniel has the ultimate crime-fighting machine.
“Nothing stops a bullet like a job, and that’s real talk," Daniel said.
If more people buy into it, he says he’ll never have to change the chalkboard in his office. It shows the number of homicides in Kansas City, Missouri. A number he says will continue to grow as long as there’s low access to economic opportunities.
For nearly two dozen men, Damon Daniel’s organization, AdHoc Group Against Crime, is providing an opportunity. For some, it could be their last. It’s a 14-week program, two days a week.
“We’re going to give you something nobody can take away, and that’s a trade,” Daniel said.
The expectations are they show up to all the classes, remain drug-free and stay out of legal trouble during those 14 weeks. Upon completion, they’re guaranteed a job. It’s the fresh start Jonathan Daniel, who went to prison in 2012, has been longing for.
“So, a lot of jobs don’t mess with me because of my felony, no matter how honest I try to keep it. I just don’t like being punished for my past," said Daniel.
