Twin brothers, Davon and Tavon Woods, are hoping to raise awareness about foster care by walking in all 50 states of America, and have sturdily crossed out 20 states off their list. The duo is trekking 20 miles in every state to raise awareness for young people growing up in foster care, ABC News reported.
The brothers were taken from their biological family at birth and placed into the foster care system. “We do it because growing up, we didn’t know what love was. I never heard ‘I love you.’ Just so much hurt, so much anger. So instead of allowing our past to defeat us, we allow it to motivate kids all around the world.” Davon said.
The 27-year-old brothers explained to Fox TV that when they left high school, the streets of South Carolina became their home. They did not excel at college, and ended up wasting their lives away with girls, partying, smoking, and even doing as much as selling drugs to survive the ‘street life.’
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They later founded an organization, ‘Foster Kids Matter’ to raise support for foster children. They blame most of their life challenges on their abrupt transition from the foster care system to the adult world. Motivated by their own life experience, the brothers intend to help other foster care children get jobs, stay sober, and have love and support. Their goal remains to open quality foster care facilities for young people who are getting too old for the system.
They came up with the idea for the multistate walk in May, which is National Foster Care Month. Davon also had the idea to walk 20 miles to the capitol buildings in all 50 states. The brothers originally walked 96 miles in four and half days from Georgia to Florida.
Responding to the cause, Designer Brands showered them with a gift of $10,000 donation to the cause on the Good Morning America Show.
Their former teacher, Colleen Kelly said “They’re so resilient. Look at what they’ve taken with their pain. I just feel grateful for them, grateful that they have the opportunity to share their voice, their story.”
The two met their biological family when they were in high school, but have limited interactions with them now. They also expressed that, after making their story public, they were alienated from their adoptive parents.
Fans and sponsors can follow the brothers’ journey on their individual social media pages and Facebook group, “Foster Kids Matter.”
