ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A walk through Unity Park in St. Petersburg may not seem like much, but for 19-year-old Dieme Ufitimana, it has been life-changing.

“A part of changing my life is motivating me, trying to keep me out of trouble,” said Ufitimana.

Ufitimana says he was getting into trouble and hanging with the wrong crowd before Rev. Kenny Irby, director of community intervention with the St. Pete Police Department, invited him to a meeting to discuss the 'Not My Son' initiative.

“I’m ecstatic about it, I’m thrilled,” said Irby.

Ufitimana is one of many ‘Not My Son’ success stories since its inception in 2015 after eight young men under 18 years old were killed from gun violence in 2014.

The campaign aims to connect at-risk youth with programming to put them on a path to success.

“This is what a community and a village really needs to do. We need to train up our young people and manifest their values so they can grow,” said Irby.

And now, thanks to a $100,000 Department of Justice grant, the program will continue to grow as well into more communities, impacting more lives.

“It also allows us to have up to $80,000 in micro-grants and fund local programs and other initiatives,” said Irby.

St. Pete Police Chief Anthony Halloway says since 2016, not a single kid has been lost to gun violence in St. Petersburg, and he thinks 'Not My Son' is to thank for that.

“A lot of these men and women, as I see it, they don’t see any hope. And to bring that hope back into their world, you can’t replace it,” said Halloway.

Take Ufitimana for instance — he is now in college, with hopes of becoming a law enforcement officer after he graduates.

“Without him inviting me that time, I couldn’t even be here standing here right now. I don’t even know where I would be right now,” said Ufitimana.