In 1998 Elaine Lane lost her son to gun violence. In that year 3,792 youth under the age of 19 was killed due to gun violence, according to the Center for Disease Control. The loss of her only child took a heavy toll on her life. After years of suffering with grief, she founded David’s Shoes a New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation. The program’s mission is to reduce teen violence by encouraging children and youth to honor life. She has developed various programs that give opportunity to students to reflect positively about their lives. In addition, she established a book scholarship and mentoring program for young males from at – risk communities.