A Youngstown man is showing that one person can truly make a difference.

 

Students say he is a unsung hero.

 

Elder Paul Weston has worked with inner city youth for almost 30 years. 

 

21 News caught up with him at a Peace, Love and Gratitude Drum Corps practice at the Elks Youth Center. 

 

With every beat of the drums, with every song and drum cadence learned, Elder Paul Weston is teaching kids, teens and young adults from all sides of Youngstown how to avoid the call of Youngstown's deadly streets.

 

"As long as kids stay active, and as long as I can keep them alive and into something. Because it only takes a minute. I've lost one in the last 30 years, only one," Drum Corps instructor Paul Weston said.

 

The discipline, working together, learning leadership skills is all part of the music lesson.

 

"At the end of the day he teaches us not only discipline, but like in a sense still responsibility," said Camera Evans.

 

Mr.  Weston emphasized it's important to be their Teacher not their friend and adds stopping to truly listen is important.

 

"To listen to their problems, to listen to their side of the story, and once you start listening, you start understanding them. You can't get rid of them," Weston smiled.

 

You can see and hear the drum corps promoting a new grocery store opening Friday, June 2. 

 

The owner of that store at 2304 Hillman Street says Weston does this with no outside dollars or grants. even going the extra mile when a drum corps member needs a ride to lessons or home. 

 

"He goes into his own pocket to do things for his people and it's hard like that for people to find truthfully. It's hard for people like that to find that's actually for the community not for themselves," Roncarols Hilton said.

 

Elder Weston who is almost 70 says he will keep teaching them to march to the beats of their own drum for as long as he can.

 

"As long as they stay interested I'll keep teaching," Weston said.

 

Weston who tells 21 News he is tough, tells us he loves watching children blossom into the best person they can be.

 

He told us about many successful stories about students there who are A students, and others who have gone on to graduate, get their degree, a Masters, then PhD.