Mr. Charles understood the need. He, too, has witnessed the damage that guns can do. Shootings have claimed the lives of several of his friends and relatives, including a man who was a father figure for him. He was especially affected when a young boy was shot outside a Philadelphia elementary school about a decade ago. Mr. Charles and Dr. Goldberg believe their program is making a difference. They get letters from grateful students. “I get an enormous amount of satisfaction from knowing we are helping people,” Dr. Goldberg says. She says she doesn’t think most children intentionally make choices that will land them in trouble. To stay on a positive path, she says, you should select friends “who are good-quality people who have your interests in mind.” If people could be more generous, tolerant, and understanding, say Dr. Goldberg and Mr. Charles, the world would be a safer place. —By Tamir Brooks, Mark Carter, Alyse Nichols, and Isaiah Outlaw, senior reporters Hope Partnership for Education Healthy Hope 11 Illustration by Jenna Griffin, James Dobson Fit Fin