LAURINBURG — The HomeBoys organization is back again to invest in the community with an event for the entire family —Jun Day.
On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jun Day will be at the James L. Morgan Recreation Center and will have plenty of events for both children and adults.
”I like to say invest instead of giving back,” said Quentin DeBerry, a co-founder of HomeBoys. “We continually look for ways to invest back into the city and it’s an opportunity to bring the community together in various ways.”
The event will be jam-packed with fun for the entire family. Jun Day will have food, games, and bouncy houses for children to enjoy while adults can shop at the local vendors. Most vendors will be Laurinburg and Scotland County-based, selling food, clothing, jewelry and more.
“We will have a DJ playing music for the kids, water slides and outdoor games,” added DeBerry. ” We also want to highlight the small businesses and entrepreneurs in the city.”
Co-founders Hilee Taylor and DeBerry joined with friends to create The Homeboys organization. It consists of 12 to 15 men who gather together to help a community that once raised them to achieve greatness. Most are Scotland High alumni.
Both co-founders grew up in the county and went to Scotland High. DeBerry played in the streets of Laurinburg and Taylor in Wagram. DeBerry previously told the Laurinburg Exchange he remembered how Scotland County was in the past when he lived here.
“For a small town, the economy was doing well with several jobs for locals (and) people were able to to provide for their families,” said DeBerry. “Now, the county has the highest unemployment rate in the state and the crime rate is increasing.”
Answering a beckoning call for change, the men strive to make an impact on the male population and teach that hard work and determination pays off. The organization spoke to boys from the fifth grade to 12th grade at Scotland High, last November as well as volunteered locally after Hurricane Florence.
The men hit the pavement of Wagram where they handed out supplies and toiletries to those in need. The Homeboys also held an event at Bright Hopewell Baptist Church, where they brought and passed out bottled water and meals.
Now, DeBerry says this is a time to get the community together and he calls for all to come support.
“It’s a sense of belonging, a sense of community and a sense of responsibility to give back what was given to us,” said DeBerry. “We want all the kids to come out, it’s for everyone. This is just another investment to Laurinburg, Scotland County and our hometown.”
The HomeBoys Jun Day is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the James L. Morgan Recreation Center, 1206 Turnpike Road in Laurinburg.
To vendor or learn more information, email the HomeBoys at [email protected] or follow them on their Instagram page, TheHomeBoysLBG.
Jael Pembrick can be reached at 910-506-3169 or [email protected].
