In Loving Memory
Teryus Rajova Nyshawn Thomas
Walking kids towards a better and brighter tomorrow!
Our Mission
Our mission is to uplift youth from underserved communities by gifting them brand-new shoes, clothes, and school supplies - because every child deserves to feel proud, prepared, and valued on their journey through education.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world in which every child has the resources, confidence, and support to thrive in school- creating a ripple effect that reduces youth incarceration, prevents gun violence, and unlocks the limitless potential within every young person to become decision-empowerment leaders.
The Heart Behind the Mission
My son was named Teryus Rajova Nyshawn Thomas. He was eighteen years old. He was my child, my joy, my heartbeat - and on December 24th, 2023, on Christmas Eve, his life was stolen from me in an act of senseless violence at the Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
There are no words large enough to hold that kind of loss. There is no language for what it feels like to lose a child to a moment of cruelty that should never have happened.
A parent is not supposed to bury their child. A family is not supposed to spend Christmas planning a funeral instead of opening gifts. And a young man with his whole life ahead of him is not supposed to have his future taken from him in a place where families gather and children laugh.
But this is our story. And out of the deepest pain a parent can know, we have chosen to plant something beautiful in Teryus's name.