Our Story
About Pathways 2 Peace
We are a Henderson-based nonprofit building a safer Vance County through prevention, intervention, and community connection.
The Founder
A Public Servant, Not a Politician
Charles “CJ” Turrentine Jr. is a lifelong Henderson resident, U.S. Army veteran, and Davis Chapel member whose leadership draws from faith-based principles centered on grace, compassion, and community care.
Two weeks after graduating high school, CJ enlisted in the United States Army. He served as an infantry dismount team leader and assistant Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunner with the North Carolina National Guard during Operation Iraqi Freedom, deploying to Iraq for fifteen and a half months. September 11th happened while he was in basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He served twelve years total.
In 2010, CJ and his wife were in a severe car accident with an eighteen-wheeler. He was in a coma for seven days and suffered his second traumatic brain injury. He had to relearn how to walk, talk, and function. The chaplain called his mother to prepare for the worst. But CJ survived, and that experience gave him a profound sense of purpose.
“If I can serve my country, I should serve my citizens that actually need it. I see you on a daily basis,” CJ says. “I realize I probably shouldn't be here. So if I'm here, it's for a reason.”
He directed the Community Partners of Hope men's homeless shelter for five years, helping develop The Hope House, a transitional housing program incorporating financial literacy and life skills training. He then channeled that same drive into transforming Chestnut Street Park, securing $140,000 over eight years to turn a neglected space into Henderson's premier community gathering spot with six new breakaway basketball goals and two revitalized courts.
In 2024, CJ founded Pathways 2 Peace with a conviction that lasting safety doesn't come from punishment alone. It comes from connection, mentorship, and community unity. What started as a single reading program has grown into a multi-pillar organization with a 170-member coalition bridging community, faith, and government sectors to combat gun violence in Vance County.
Mission & Vision
Everything we do flows from a clear mission and an unwavering belief in what Vance County can become.
Our Mission
Building Safer, Stronger Communities
Building safer, stronger rural communities through comprehensive youth development, violence intervention, workforce opportunity, and civic engagement - one neighborhood at a time.
Our Vision
Thriving Communities, Prosperous Futures
Thriving communities where young people rise above their circumstances, violence declines, and families build futures filled with prosperity.
Prevention
Focused on elementary-age youth. Community library readings, early literacy, and relationship-building programs that instill peaceful values before violence becomes a familiar pattern.
Intervention
Targeted at high school students and young adults already facing difficult circumstances. Mentorship, life skills, entrepreneurship pathways, and reentry support that create real alternatives.
Our Approach
We don't work in silos. In partnership with the NC Office of Violence Prevention and the Governor's Crime Commission, we use data-driven systems thinking to map the root causes of violence and identify where change will have the greatest impact.
Community Members
Residents are the foundation. P2P activates neighbors, parents, and local champions as the first line of support for young people in Vance County.
Faith Leaders
Churches and faith organizations carry deep trust in Henderson. P2P partners with them to extend reach, provide moral grounding, and connect youth to mentors who invest in their futures.
Local Government
Systemic change requires systemic tools. P2P works alongside city agencies, the Fire Department, and county institutions to align resources and build lasting infrastructure for peace.
Data-to-Action Workshop
In June 2025, Pathways 2 Peace hosted Vance County's first Data-to-Action Workshop in partnership with the NC Office of Violence Prevention and the NC Governor's Crime Commission. Community leaders, practitioners, and residents came together to map the root causes of violence and design solutions grounded in local knowledge and real data.
Top Issues Identified
- Broken families and intergenerational dysfunction
- Poverty, unemployment, and economic instability
- Gaps in mental and behavioral health access
- Lack of mentorship and youth engagement
Solutions Developed
- Vance County Youth Corps: summer mentorship for middle schoolers
- Job training paired with mental health support for adults
- Youth-led community center at Chestnut Street Park
- Mentorship Readiness Program for community adults
Why This Work Matters
Vance County by the Numbers
Vance County is designated a Tier One county, ranking among North Carolina's 40 most economically distressed. These statistics from the 2024 Vance County Child Well-Being Landscape Analysis and the NC Public School Forum's Roadmap of Need illustrate why community-driven violence prevention is essential.
93/100
Child Well-Being Ranking (100 = worst)
22.6%
3rd Grade Reading Proficiency (vs. 46.4% state)
63%
Single-Parent Households in Most Vulnerable Area
19.8%
Youth Ages 16-24 Not in School or Working
75%
Children Projected to Experience Food Insecurity
#6
Most Distressed County in North Carolina
Sources: Vance County Child Well-Being Landscape Analysis (Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, May 2024), NC Public School Forum Roadmap of Need (2023), NC Budget and Tax Center (2024)
Our Leadership
Pathways 2 Peace is governed by a board of directors who are invested in Henderson and Vance County, not as outsiders, but as community members who care deeply about its future. All board members serve without compensation.
Founder, Board Chair & President
CJ is a Henderson native, U.S. Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and lifelong public servant whose leadership draws from faith-based principles centered on grace, compassion, and community care. He founded Pathways 2 Peace in 2024 after witnessing the toll that gun violence takes on families and neighborhoods in Vance County.
His approach is built on relationships. CJ believes that sustainable change requires every sector of the community, including residents, faith leaders, law enforcement, and mental health providers, working in concert rather than in silos. Under his leadership, P2P has grown from a single reading program to a 170-member coalition serving youth at every stage.
CJ also serves as Chair of the Henderson Community-Wide Advisory Committee, sits on the Vance Charter School and Salvation Army Advisory boards, and secured $140,000 to revitalize Chestnut Street Park into Henderson's premier community gathering space.
Board of Directors
Our board provides strategic guidance, financial oversight, and community ambassadorship. Each member brings unique experience and a shared commitment to Vance County.
Pathways 2 Peace is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. EIN: 33-4164192. All board members serve without compensation.
Our Journey
Two years in, the momentum is clear. Every milestone reflects real relationships and real impact in Vance County.
- Founded Pathways 2 Peace as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in Henderson, NC (EIN: 33-4164192)
- Launched the first community library reading program for elementary youth
- Hosted the inaugural holiday bike drive with 25 bikes donated to local children
- Began building coalition of community, faith, and government partners
- Read-In literacy program grew from 8 to 30+ youth participants over the year
- Christmas Caroling Read-In: youth walked down Garnett Street reading to local businesses
- Hosted Earth Day community event with Farmers Market, 4-H, Cooperative Extension, and Perry Memorial Library, engaging 60+ youth
- Vance County Fire and EMS partnered with Read-In events, building relationships with children
- Hosted Vance County's first Data-to-Action Workshop with the NC Office of Violence Prevention and Governor's Crime Commission
- Park and Play activities across 13 housing developments, reaching 30+ children per session
- 30 bicycles distributed to youth through community bike drives and safety initiatives
- Completed Phase 1 of Chestnut Street Park revitalization with $140,000 secured over eight years
- Filed initial Form 990-EZ with the IRS, investing all $3,000 in revenue directly into program services
- Established formal partnerships with 15+ organizations across education, health, public safety, and faith sectors
- Board of Directors formally established: six members providing governance, oversight, and community ambassadorship
- Completed Board Governance training through Mission Triangle, sponsored by John William Pope Foundation and Triangle North Healthcare Foundation
- Expanding Read-In program to Granville County through United Way partnership
- Expanding community programming to Townsville and New Hope School grounds
- Chestnut Street Park Phase 2 underway, with community garden planned as part of CVIPI strategy
- Building partnerships with Granville Vance Public Health for vaping prevention, sexual health education, and mental health programming
- Launching the Vance County Youth Corps, a structured summer mentorship and leadership program for middle school students
- Developing a job training and workforce readiness program paired with mental health support
Support the Mission
Every dollar invested in Pathways 2 Peace goes directly toward programs that keep young people in Vance County safe, engaged, and moving toward a better future.