Save Our Children

This is my son, Thomas Scott Davenport.  On March 7, 2015, we got that phone call that no family ever wants to receive.  The caller said that Scott had been found unresponsive at his place of work. He died from an overdose of drugs (Fentanyl). Our family was devastated as was his 12 year old daughter, Hannah. Losing a child is by far the most painful experience you can ever have.  This journey of pain, devastation and grief has taught us some critical lessons. First, the key to saving our children from drugs is to prevent them from ever saying "yes" to drugs in the first place.  Prevention is the only real vaccination to guarantee a child and family will not suffer from a substance use disorder or addiction. Second, the most effective way to prevent losing our children to the drug epidemic is through the hard work of connecting with youth and educating them.  When I look back, I wish I had known what I know and understand now just over a year later. That's where Just Say Something comes in… Their mission is to provide the necessary resources to families in crisis from drugs or alcohol.  That’s where I learned what it takes to understand how this happens and why it is just not a behavioral issue that they will grow out of.  It is not the right of passage as many parents want to think.  I would have talked more with Scott… I would have reached out to get information and guidance when he was much younger.  I would have learned. I would have listened more. I would have explained more family history. It’s not rocket science; it’s being an informed and aware parent guiding his son. It would have been about him and how he felt about himself and the world around him.  If I could only have one hour with him now, I would have so much to ask and so much to say.  I would if I could but I cannot and I made a promise to myself and to Scott that I would do this for his daughter. That's why I agreed to be on the Board of Directors of Just Say Something.  I want to honor Scott's memory by making a difference in her life and in many other lives of children who need more information and education.  I hear my beautiful son, Scott, guiding me and telling me this is the right thing to do.  It would be what Scott would want done for his daughter, if he could.

JSS's staff is dedicated and highly trained but they need help to do the job and reach more youth.  That's why I am appealing to you.  I have committed my life to make this happen. There was a time when we were able to employ a retired police officer who went into our community schools on a regular schedule and taught the youth valuable skills about how to interact with law enforcement and how to respect authority. He also taught important drug prevention education, gang prevention education and general personal safety information. This was one of our more successful programs and services to the schools in our community. It was called CODE (Community Officer Drug Education).  It was provided at a very critical age, fifth grade, and he visited again in middle school, usually 7th grade. We were able to maintain this program for five years through grants and fundraising.

Sadly, we ran out of funding for that program four years ago and we have struggled to meet its needs and requests since then, without our retired police officer, as best we can. We recently came to the conclusion that we needed to resume this programming and support to our schools. We all know that the current environment and strain in our communities between law enforcement and many young people is rampant… The need for education and prevention is reaching a tipping point. We have an opportunity to bring on board a recently retired, very experienced and respected police officer. This opportunity is a gift and an answer to a prayer at this particular time. He is very motivated to help us and help our school children with accurate and researched-based information to better equip our young citizens to make good decisions based on good information delivered during their school day. He is the perfect person with the perfect background and he is eager to make a difference - a major difference that will save lives. There is no better investment.

All we need is to raise $50,000.00 to make this happen and what a legacy it would be in my son, Scott’s memory. Many young people around the same age as Scott's daughter can be given a chance to learn the right information and skills needed to keep themselves safe in a world that is not currently youth friendly or safe. Help us help them.

If you are reading this.... and you have a child or a grandchild then I am appealing directly to you.  Help us make sure you never have to go through what my family has gone through.  Please give to save our children!

Thank you,
Roy Davenport