Letter From the Executive Director
My heart is in the right place…..
I’ve been asked on many occasions why do I want to do something like this? I’ve been told that I’m trying to do too much. I’ve also been asked why is helping poor inner-city kids so important to me? I would like to answer all of these questions by sharing why Neutral Zones of America is important to me.
I was raised in what was called the “Heart of the Ghetto”, on the South Side of Chicago by a single mom with my three brothers. My childhood memories were from a downbeat, low-income environment that often screamed for help. Often times those cries for help went unanswered. I grew up in a three-bedroom, one bathroom apartment that housed up to 15 of my relatives. My three brothers and I had to share a bed or sometimes a pallet on the floor with a cousin, uncle or aunt. My mother and my grandmother had to share their room also. No one in the family had a job so everyone depended on welfare to live. Resources inside and outside of the house were extremely limited and food was always in short supply. As a kid, I remember countless of times of going to bed with nothing to eat then waking up the next morning still hungry and having to go to school.
Now, growing up with a house full of people you would think that love and affection was not a problem; but I come from a family where there was little or no affection shown at all. Although, I knew my mom loved me I really don’t remember hearing my mom showering us with “I love yous” or giving us a lot of hugs. I guess she wasn’t used to that kind of affection because her father was not around to give it to her. My mother did her best raising four boys; with the cards she was dealt she could only do so much. Living on the south side of Chicago was hard enough but without a father it was even more difficult. My brothers and I all had different fathers and none of them stayed around to help raise their own child, so providing for another man’s child was not an option. There was no father or father figure around to teach us how to fish, camp or become young respectable men. No one was there to explain to us the dangers of gangs, drugs or the importance of safe sex. All of these things we experienced before the age of ten and we had to learn them from the streets. My mom, uncles and aunts never took the time to talk to us about these issues partly due to their own lack of knowledge and education. This was how I became a part of the continual cycle that plagues many inner city youth. You see my son was conceived when I was only 14 years old. Teenage pregnancy was not uncommon in my neighborhood. In fact young girls would get pregnant, have a baby and get on welfare just so they can survive. Not knowing they were repeating the cycle of teenage pregnancy and young unwed mothers.
Behaviors like these, along with the lack of education and dropping out of school were regular occurrences throughout the neighborhood. Education was never discussed in our home, nor do I remember getting any educational support. My mother never continued past the eighth grade and her other four siblings made it to high school but none past the ninth grade. Their minds were not open to the world beyond the projects where we lived. They never knew of the possibilities outside of the “hood” because they were not shown a positive vision of a better life. They never knew a better life was attainable; they never knew its existence was real. As a result our minds were closed off to the outside world as well.
Growing up in one of Chicago’s worst housing projects; a crime, drug, and gang infested neighborhood was hard. You could easily be in the wrong place at the wrong time and be faced with a life or death situation. Shootings between rival gang members rang out almost daily and were considered the norm as they battled for turf, so they could sell their drugs throughout the community. The sight of drug needles lying around, sexual acts performed in hallways or hearing random gunshots and the stifling cries of a gang beating was an everyday occurrence. This was the environment I lived in. This was a place where children lost their hopes and their dreams were broken. This was where young, innocent lives were lost.
Unfortunately, this same environment is an everyday reality to many kids who live under these conditions throughout the United States today. They too come from broken homes with limited resources. They too live in an environment where their minds are not being enriched and their lives seem hopeless. They also live in an environment where crime, drugs, and gangs are an everyday part of their neighborhoods. I believe Neutral Zones of America will provide a safe and secure environment within their existing community that any child would be proud to be a part of. I am confident that Neutral Zones of America will help the kids with tutorial programs, after school activities and mentorship programs all in an effort to provide life changing experiences that will assist them in their growth and development.
Neutral Zones of America has always been a dream of mine. Every day, so many kids have their dreams snatched away from them. Neutral Zones of America will allow me to take their lost smiles and childhood dreams with me every step of the way. The lost innocent souls of these neighborhoods will be living through Neutral Zones of America. There are some children who want no parts of gangs and drugs and have dreams of going to college. Children are sacred and must be protected. Each child, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or economic background deserves a chance to live, learn and grow in peace. This is my passion and this is why I am committed and driven to help the youth of these communities. This is why Neutral Zones of America is important to me. My heart is in it.
Thank you and God bless!
Lester Neal
President/CEO
I’ve been asked on many occasions why do I want to do something like this? I’ve been told that I’m trying to do too much. I’ve also been asked why is helping poor inner-city kids so important to me? I would like to answer all of these questions by sharing why Neutral Zones of America is important to me.
I was raised in what was called the “Heart of the Ghetto”, on the South Side of Chicago by a single mom with my three brothers. My childhood memories were from a downbeat, low-income environment that often screamed for help. Often times those cries for help went unanswered. I grew up in a three-bedroom, one bathroom apartment that housed up to 15 of my relatives. My three brothers and I had to share a bed or sometimes a pallet on the floor with a cousin, uncle or aunt. My mother and my grandmother had to share their room also. No one in the family had a job so everyone depended on welfare to live. Resources inside and outside of the house were extremely limited and food was always in short supply. As a kid, I remember countless of times of going to bed with nothing to eat then waking up the next morning still hungry and having to go to school.
Now, growing up with a house full of people you would think that love and affection was not a problem; but I come from a family where there was little or no affection shown at all. Although, I knew my mom loved me I really don’t remember hearing my mom showering us with “I love yous” or giving us a lot of hugs. I guess she wasn’t used to that kind of affection because her father was not around to give it to her. My mother did her best raising four boys; with the cards she was dealt she could only do so much. Living on the south side of Chicago was hard enough but without a father it was even more difficult. My brothers and I all had different fathers and none of them stayed around to help raise their own child, so providing for another man’s child was not an option. There was no father or father figure around to teach us how to fish, camp or become young respectable men. No one was there to explain to us the dangers of gangs, drugs or the importance of safe sex. All of these things we experienced before the age of ten and we had to learn them from the streets. My mom, uncles and aunts never took the time to talk to us about these issues partly due to their own lack of knowledge and education. This was how I became a part of the continual cycle that plagues many inner city youth. You see my son was conceived when I was only 14 years old. Teenage pregnancy was not uncommon in my neighborhood. In fact young girls would get pregnant, have a baby and get on welfare just so they can survive. Not knowing they were repeating the cycle of teenage pregnancy and young unwed mothers.
Behaviors like these, along with the lack of education and dropping out of school were regular occurrences throughout the neighborhood. Education was never discussed in our home, nor do I remember getting any educational support. My mother never continued past the eighth grade and her other four siblings made it to high school but none past the ninth grade. Their minds were not open to the world beyond the projects where we lived. They never knew of the possibilities outside of the “hood” because they were not shown a positive vision of a better life. They never knew a better life was attainable; they never knew its existence was real. As a result our minds were closed off to the outside world as well.
Growing up in one of Chicago’s worst housing projects; a crime, drug, and gang infested neighborhood was hard. You could easily be in the wrong place at the wrong time and be faced with a life or death situation. Shootings between rival gang members rang out almost daily and were considered the norm as they battled for turf, so they could sell their drugs throughout the community. The sight of drug needles lying around, sexual acts performed in hallways or hearing random gunshots and the stifling cries of a gang beating was an everyday occurrence. This was the environment I lived in. This was a place where children lost their hopes and their dreams were broken. This was where young, innocent lives were lost.
Unfortunately, this same environment is an everyday reality to many kids who live under these conditions throughout the United States today. They too come from broken homes with limited resources. They too live in an environment where their minds are not being enriched and their lives seem hopeless. They also live in an environment where crime, drugs, and gangs are an everyday part of their neighborhoods. I believe Neutral Zones of America will provide a safe and secure environment within their existing community that any child would be proud to be a part of. I am confident that Neutral Zones of America will help the kids with tutorial programs, after school activities and mentorship programs all in an effort to provide life changing experiences that will assist them in their growth and development.
Neutral Zones of America has always been a dream of mine. Every day, so many kids have their dreams snatched away from them. Neutral Zones of America will allow me to take their lost smiles and childhood dreams with me every step of the way. The lost innocent souls of these neighborhoods will be living through Neutral Zones of America. There are some children who want no parts of gangs and drugs and have dreams of going to college. Children are sacred and must be protected. Each child, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or economic background deserves a chance to live, learn and grow in peace. This is my passion and this is why I am committed and driven to help the youth of these communities. This is why Neutral Zones of America is important to me. My heart is in it.
Thank you and God bless!
Lester Neal
President/CEO
“Our goal is to be a blessing to others”