The Origin of Drive Change NYC
Dean Koontz once said, “The world howls for social justice, but when it comes to social responsibility, you sometimes can’t even hear crickets chirping.” In today’s world, people want social justice and even advocate for equality and social movements but they often never take action to back up the words they say. There are very few people today that convert their ideals to action and attempt to make a change. Luckily, Jordyn Lexton is one of those few.
Jordyn Lexton was an English Teacher on Ryker’s Island for 3 years where she taught incarcerated youths. During this time, she saw several things happen to the children she educated at the prison which she deems “No place for kids”. The young children that she taught were victims of abuse, and sexual assault, and some of the children even committed suicide because of their incarceration. Jordyn saw these problems and knew something needed to change.
Jordyn then left her teaching job on the island and went on to create the non-profit organization, Drive Change. An organization that she hoped would steer the community in the right direction for social change and so far, it has. What started off as a single food truck with LCD screens displaying messages about child incarceration quickly expanded to become an industrial kitchen and multiple food trucks that now has the ability to train more than 36 formerly incarcerated youths in culinary arts.
Jordyn Lexton saw a situation and took it upon herself to take action to solve the problem. A feat that not many people nowadays do. She understood that thousands of youths in NYC are incarcerated and knows firsthand what they are subject to. Jordyn built something from the ground up to make a difference in the community and fight the system that changes these young people’s lives for the worse. Now every day, her organization Drive Change, is riding around the city, striving for social justice and changing the lives of the youth one meal at a time.
