HIGH POINT, N.C. — The 27260 ZIP code in High Point is one of the poorest areas in North Carolina, according to United States ZIP Codes. Poverty often creates a breeding ground for crime and violence.
Now a professional boxer is taking his talents to this community to help put youth on a positive path. WFMY’s Lauren Coleman went to see how Coach Steven Matthews changes lives- one jab at a time.
Developing today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders is a challenge Coach Steven Mathew is prepared to take on.
“In this sport, there is a high level of intangibles such as discipline, focus, critical thinking, composure, and emotional intelligence,” Matthews said.
The U.S. combat veteran and professional boxer founded Punch4Pounds KIDS. The program provides youth mentorship through the art of boxing. Since 2014, he’s worked with youth in Greensboro, but now he’s stepping into a new ring helping students in the High Point area.
“This particular ZIP code suffers in many areas from education disparity gaps, gun and gang violence, lack of employment, and economic chokeholds,” Matthews said."Ideally, we want to begin empowering the community starting with our most important component, our youth."
Matthews partnered with Greater New Hope Baptist Church in High Point to offer a summer enrichment program for kids. Participants won’t just learn how to jab and uppercut. There is an academic component as well.
“Upon arrival, they’re going to come in, we’re going to have an empowerment hour,” Matthew said. “We’re going to do some strength and conditioning. We’re going to do some motivating. Then we’re going to go into our mentoring and our STEM. We actually had a great opportunity to partner with the agency that’s provided us with STEM curriculum and activities and resources.”
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Pastor Lovell McMichael hopes the summer camp will allow his church to continue to be a lighthouse for the community.
“So many of our youth just don’t have anything to do throughout the day,” McMichael said. “So opening up our doors and allowing the opportunity for these young people to have a place to come to get off the streets and to really have some services that impact their lives, help them with their conflict resolution skills, their coping skills, their problem-solving skills was just something that we jumped at because we know how important it is for young people to stay connected through the summer so when they go back to school they have a fighting chance for a great academic school year.”
Parents and participants agree.
“I wanted to participate because I used to get in fights a lot and I want to box out the anger for next year,” 8th grader Adrionna Johnson said.
WFMY’s Lauren Coleman asked Matthews what makes him passionate about his work.
“I come from a community where I’ve seen what unbalance creates,” Matthews said. “Understanding what poverty breeds, crime, violence. I wanted to be a part of the solution. As a combat vet, I always say I fought for the country, so I feel obligated to fight for the community.”
The summer camp at Greater New Hope Baptist Church will run through August 11 with hopes of expanding into an after-school enrichment program in the Fall.