Anthony Gaunt, a veteran volunteer at Keep Durham Beautiful, has been on both the giving and receiving end of nonprofits, so he understands the positive impact that agencies such as KDB have on communities.
“I grew up poor and in the projects in Washington D.C. I was never afforded the opportunity to help others because I needed the help,” says Gaunt. “That support allowed me to grow as a person because I knew there were people out there who were willing to help and resources that I hadn’t yet discovered.”
Gaunt emphasizes that education is the most valuable gift you can give a community. With the help of nonprofits, he was able to attend college where he earned his associates, bachelors, and master’s degree. He’s paying that forward by working to educate, and fighting for, underprivileged communities in Durham.
“I was always taught growing up to give back what I had been given because you have to pass it on to the next generation,” Gaunt says. “KDB promotes the welfare of individuals and teaches them things they will take through life, and that is the greatest gift you can give communities. KDB is teaching people and serving people and educating people who would otherwise never be afforded the opportunity to gain that knowledge.”
Gaunt emphasizes that it is more important now than ever to continue giving resources and volunteering to sustain the nonprofit programs that are so vital for low income areas in Durham.
“It is so important that we continue to serve the underserved and underprivileged. We need to continue to promote good health habits, well-being, and education,” he says. “In other words, if we don’t continue to support nonprofits during this time, people will not be able to afford certain opportunities and we will lose our community to things that we have no control over.”
While the pandemic has been a tough time for nonprofits and communities across our nation, it has also given many the space and time to reflect and notice injustices in society that need to be addressed. Once this reflection has taken place, many will have the desire to educate themselves and that is where change begins.
“This pandemic has opened our eyes to a lot of circumstances that we need to address,” says Gaunt. “We are fortunate to have this time to address these issues, and we must build on what we have already learned. I would ask any and everybody to continue fighting, giving, educating and promoting the welfare of all of our people so we can better support and love one another.”