Andre Pitre: I started doing that on my journey to pursue my dreams. I always enjoyed working with kids. I’ve coached basketball, baseball, football, and I’ve mentored. I work with the kids, and Charnele works with adults. My dad used to coach baseball, so I got it from him. At four, I sang and played baseball (laughing). I watched my dad go to different places. These kids he helped couldn’t do nothing. They would probably be locked up. But I saw how he made an impact. It rolled over to me. One thing about kids is they are honest. They’ll let you know how it is. As adults, what happened to just being straight up. If you don’t like somebody or something, just say it. For some reason, we feel like we’ve got to like and sugarcoat. What happened to the innocence? It’s days when I’m frustrated by my own career, not booking a certain commercial or a movie, trying to get something right music wise, and these kids are happy just to have someone spend time with them.
Urban Grandstand Digital: It says a lot that you take the time to do this. We’ve all been there, but you get some people who don’t go back and help.
Andre Pitre: I never wanted to wait until a certain stage of my career and say it was time to give back. You should do it because you want to do it. Not because of PR. It’s a lot of stuff I do that I won’t put on social media. You’ll see what I do by how productive these kids become. They may not even be into art, but it helps them by me talking to them and showing them with discipline. I tell them what goes on, and keep it straight up. I tell them they’ll go through ups and downs. They have to put in the work.
Urban Grandstand Digital: What you see on TV is not always reality.
Andre Pitre: Right, but the joy I get working with these kids, i look forward to it. It gives me just as much joy as singing and acting. It’s so innocent. They don’t realize they’re learning until later on. Those interested in acting, it helps them with memorization too.
Urban Grandstand Digital: And even if they are not interested in entertainment, it helps them figure out their path.
Andre Pitre: Right, and it helps them get out of their shell. A lot of them have been bullied, and are dealing with family issues. They’re the adults and they have to feed their brothers and sisters because mom and dad may not be home. It’s just stuff like that. I can’t save everybody but if I can save one, I’ve done my job. These young men need it more than anything. They are killing us and locking us up like animals. These boys have so much anger because their daddies aren’t around. The daddies don’t take the time. I don’t shy away from that. I’d rather have a challenge than go to a kid that has everything. These kids that don’t have it, you shouldn’t run away from it. They are crying out for help and want attention.
Urban Grandstand Digital: Right, and the more people that ignore them, the more violent they become.
Andre Pitre: Right. They build and build and build until they explode. They do it in front of the wrong people and the cops get involved. They’re just expressing how they feel. A lot of things going on, people aren’t thinking rationally. They have built up rage and then take the law into their own hands. Everybody has a story and it’s a reason why some people are the way they are. It starts from home.
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