EAST POINT, Ga. — At 1607 White Way in East Point stands a two-story brick building with a green awning sporting the words 'Youth Job Resource Center' in all white capital letters.
It may seem like an ordinary building on an ordinary street. But Donese Gordon will tell you, it's what's on the inside that counts.
"It's a perfect location. Right by the East Point train station, across from a Bank of America. It's perfect for the kids. It's safe and secure," she said.
Security and safety; two things Gordon wants to give to teenagers and young adults with her new center.
“These kids are robbing and killing each other and I want to teach them that they don’t have to rob and steal," said Gordon.
That’s the reason you’ll see 'Grant’s World' everywhere you look inside the brick building. Those words, coupled with the face of Grant Antonio Payton, can be found printed on the door, plastered on the windows, and memorialized in six large silver framed photos.
"When I walk through these doors, it is in honor of him," Gordon told 11Alive's Hope Ford.
Grant's time in this world was cut short, when the 16-year-old was murdered in 2018.
“He had just started working at Chick-Fil-A," Gordon remembered. “He was so excited to get his first job. So, in order to turn my pain into purpose, I opened up a job resource center so I could help other kids find jobs.”
While grieving, Gordon began helping teenagers get jobs, operating out of her car and eventually securing employment for more than 40 young people.
But now, with office space, she feels that number can only grow.
Gordon aims to provide job placement and other skill-building opportunities, with a wall of computers capable of providing literacy, human resources, and job certifications. A waiting room with a large TV mounted on the wall serves to help people watch and learn interview skills and a special closet in the back of the space helps round out the center.
“This is where we’re going to have a clothing closet here. So, we’re going to have interview clothing for girls and interview clothing for young men here as well as interview shoes as well as non-skid shoes as well," Gordon said during a tour of the space.
Office supplies, phone chargers, and even breath mints were donated to the non-profit.
"For when they go on interviews," Gordon said pointing to a bin full of mints. With a light laugh, she added, "It's the little things that matter and we have them all."
Gordon said much of the success will come from showing young people it's not what's happening on the outside around them, but what's on the inside of them that counts.
"We listen to them. They come in and tell us what they want to do and we provide them with the resources," she said.
Grant may no longer be here, but at the same time, he's everywhere; showing his mother a way to live on.
“I almost didn’t survive it. But, what kept me alive is, I refused to bury Grant. With me doing Grant’s World, I’m not only keeping his legacy alive and him living through me, I’m helping other children. This is how I survived. As long as I'm on this Earth, I want him to live forever through me," she said.
The resource center is for 15 to 24-year-olds from any area in Georgia, as they offer virtual training as well.
Grant’s World will have a grand opening on May 29th, the four-year anniversary of Grant’s death.
Gordon is looking for volunteers, coaches and employers to help.
She said she's already partnered with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office for a job fair.
People can learn more about Grant's World and the Grant Antonio Payton Foundation by visiting the organization's dedicated website.