BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — After Brohdny Ricketts was medically retired from the Army in 2012 he was faced with starting over.
“I was medically retired in 2012 and that turned my life upside-down because I didn’t want to get out of the military but I had to,” he said.
After soul searching for some time he ended up getting involved with a youth group at church and writing two books.
It was during that time he realized his affinity for working with youth, and doing motivational speaking.
Although he was forced to leave the military, he didn’t leave everything behind.
L.D.R.S.H.I.P
It stands for loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.
He started taking those seven words with him everywhere — volunteering to speak at places, just because it made him feel good.
“I started volunteering to speak at places just to uplift kids and people I just love people.”
Eventually that volunteer work led to connections — he’s now partnered with the Community Action Organization to bring programming to the community. He did a summer youth program last year and now, in 2020, he is expanding his program to include eight locations with a team of volunteers to support the mission.
Ricketts’s program is called The Walk 615.
The goal is simple — to inspire people to live out the seven values in their every day lives.
“Everyone has a walk, everyone has a journey, and everyone has a story,” he said. “Your past doesn’t define who you are… it helps you define who you’re going to be.”
The Walk 615 offers four programs: Youth L.D.R.S.H.I.P Mentor Program (K-12), Motivational L.D.R.S.H.I.P Program (Organizations), Empower Through L.D.R.S.H.I.P (Any Age), and Young Men of Color (YMC) L.D.R.S.H.I.P (K-12).
