A Jacksonville business owner is inspiring local teenagers to take control of their future by teaching them life skills through his lawn care service.
In the same mission, Jerry Durr hopes his efforts will take at-rick youth off the streets and reduce crime in the community.
Jerry Durr started Good Seedz Properties six years ago as a way to support himself. His business grew over the years throughout Duval County.
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It wasn’t until he started getting involved with the teenagers in his neighbor that he realized he had an opportunity to help them.
“The original goal was to just work and have my friends work with me and just, one day, I felt in my heart, I need to grow people,” Durr said. “I need to focus more on that.”
He created the Crime Free Cuts program, in which he hired local teenagers to help with his lawn care service.
During the academic school year, the positions were part time.
In the few months that the program has existed, Durr said he can already recognize a difference with his employees.
“When I see the transition from not knowing anything about it, no experience at all, to becoming someone who can be skilled at every position, it’s a beautiful thing,” Durr said.
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In the past four months, Action News Jax reported on nine shootings, five of which were deadly, that involved children. In all of 2018, 29 shootings involved a child.
Durr said he grew up in a similar background and can relate to at-risk teenagers. He said working with his uncle as a young man gave him the life skills to later become an entrepreneur.
“I know young people are just needing people to guide them but we’re too busy to even take the time out to go life on life with them and I just hope it spreads,” Durr said.