After losing her brother when he was in high school, a Fort Wayne woman has found a way to continue his legacy while helping the youth in Fort Wayne.

Dana Leroyne Causey was killed when his friend accidentally shot him while playing with a gun in 1988.

“The day before he died he told me about all the things he wanted to do with his life. We didn’t know he only had 36 hours left to live, but he was such an amazing young man who did so much for so many other people. There are people who can tell you that their lives have changed because of him, and so I just want to continue that legacy,” said Angelique Causey, founder of the Dana Leroyne Causey Family Empowerment Foundation.

The Dana Leroyne Causey Family Empowerment Foundation kicked off on his 48th birthday. The foundation will be helping 10 young men and 10 young women through its program Prcless (pronounced priceless) and Powerful.

Ten young women will be placed into the Prcless program while 10 young men will be in the Powerful program throughout their four years of high school. While in the program, they will receive mentoring and career development training.

“Even though the ‘i’ and the ‘e’ are missing [in Prcless], you’re still priceless with nothing broken. Destiny by design, so we want to help them design their destiny,” Causey said.

Causey said that the foundation wants to help teens learn that where they are now is not where their future is.

“There are a lot of youth serving organizations and other other organizations. We’re not trying to replace any of them, we’re just trying to enhance the services they bring. What we provide is customized personal development,” Causey said.

The inaugural class is expected to accepted January 2022. The first class will be focused on students who are in the Status Offender Court Alternative Program (SOCAP) program because they miss school and have to go to court. If there are any spots open, other Fort Wayne organizations will refer students.

Originally published on wane.com.