Family of Adam Toledo launches nonprofit on his 14th birthday
The family of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old Chicago boy killed by a police officer, celebrated what would have been his 14th birthday by creating a nonprofit organization to support boys aged 10 to 14 who live in underserved communities.
The Toledo family made the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday.
Speaking via the family attorney Adeena Weiss Ortiz, Betty Toledo, Adam’s mom, said: “If he would see me kind of down, he would say, ‘Mommy, don’t worry, everything will be better.’ I think about what Adam would say to me, and I think about how to make things better.
“What I really want is to have Adam back,” Toledo added. “And I can’t do that, but we can try to help other families protect their sons from the temptations that took Adam into the street that night.”
On March 29, Adam was killed by police during a pursuit in which he was holding a gun.
The Adam’s Place program is inspired by Boys Farm, a South Carolina based foster service established in 1960. Those who join Adam’s Place will be welcomed to a 91 acre farmland area where they will take care of animals, tend to gardens, and receive academic and personal help.
“This is what Adam would want: a place with animals, a place to make friends, a place to feel safe,” the Toledo family said on the organization’s website.
