To many, death signals an end, but it can also mark a beginning. 

Sunlight beamed through the tall office window of the second-story brick building on Washington Street. From her wooden desk, Jakki gazed out the window overlooking the empty lot across the street — a space that once held a hotel — now just gravel and dirt. 

A vision came to life. 

For Corvin, that vision was more than just bricks and mortar. His passion for basketball was shaped by tragedy. Losing both his sister and niece in a house fire left a wound that will never fully heal, but it ignited a desire within him to help others. 

“My sister would be 55 today,” Corvin said with a sigh as he looked down. “I dedicated that into my dream because I knew basketball was a safe haven for me.” 

In the midst of hardship, basketball became his escape. It helped him discover his purpose — to create a safe, welcoming gym where children could play and feel a sense of security. 

Even now, he could picture it clearly: sneakers squeaking against the polished wood floor as the faded orange ball thuds in rhythm from hand to hand. Laughter echoes off the tall walls of the middle school gym, mixed with the scent of freshly waxed floors and sweat. 

What began as a 6-year-old’s dream evolved into something even greater, impacting the entire High Point community and beyond. That dream led him to a full-ride scholarship to play basketball at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. 

“It was so exciting for me to be able to get out of school and have a dream, and now we can see that the dream is about to come true,” Corvin said.

While at A&T, Corvin met Jakki in a music class. He shared with her his dream of building a life around basketball. Jakki joined him on this journey. Corvin had a passion for painting, so they began painting together to raise money for what would become their nonprofit. 

Corvin Davis, operations director, and his wife, Jakki Davis, executive director, co-founded D-UP together. 

“It was exciting, but knowing that was my dream, I never lost focus on what I wanted to do,” said Corvin. 

Since they didn’t have the money at the time to buy a gym, they began by going mobile – using any gym that would let them teach basketball and character development. 

Two of their daughters attended a private Christian school where Corvin coached, and the school let them use its gym for camp as they traveled the High Point Triad in 2007. Three years later, they officially became a nonprofit. 

***** 

Uncertainty unraveled. 

At first, Jakki was unsure of what was to come until she unexpectedly ran into her old friend, Dr. Pamela Palmer, a nonprofit consultant, who shifted her perspective. Meeting with Jakki weekly, Palmer offered guidance as she and Corvin began their journey. Over time, Palmer helped Jakki understand that success would come if they focused on building a strong program that truly served the community. 

Their first camp had just one student, but it was a start. 

In 2011, D-UP moved to a building on Washington Street. Soon after, Dr. Palmer helped Jakki write her first grant with the Hayden Harmon Foundation. In partnership with the foundation and the city of High Point, they worked together to build a park down the street, completed in 2012. 

Their first program at the new park, “Let’s Move in the Park,” featured a two-hour themed event once a month. During one of these events, a child mentioned having no summer plans due to

high expenses. That sparked Jakki’s idea of starting a free summer camp. Their first one hosted 32 kids. 

When the summer camp ended, the children were eager to return during the school year. With the support of High Point University’s Bonner students and AmeriCorps VISTAs, they were able to make it happen. 

“Most of the workers that aren’t Bonner students are A&T graduates, so they all have a tight-knit connection, but it’s not like an isolated thing, where you feel on the outside,” said Wallace Reese, a sophomore at High Point University and site leader for the Bonner program at D-UP. “They definitely bring you in, and it’s just like a big old family taking care of 70 kids.” 

On a crisp autumn evening in 2015, the scent of fallen leaves and fresh pumpkins filled the air at a local harvest festival. After the celebration, Corvin drove while Jakki sat in the backseat of the long white van nestled between two siblings. One of them wore an elegant dress with a sparkling tiara on her head. Jakki told the young girl she was a beautiful princess. Her brother disagreed. Jakki quickly remarked, telling him that she is a princess and he is a prince. 

At this moment, Jakki realized the power of actions over words.

 “Even though you speak to them, sometimes the children don’t know it until they see something,” said Jakki. 

That moment sparked what would become a decade-long tradition: The Royal Celebration. This annual event offers the children etiquette classes, donates dresses and tuxedos, limousines and homemade food for over 60 people by Jakki’s mother. 

As D-UP programs expanded, Corvin and Jakki realized that basketball was their platform, but they also recognized other needs within the community. 

“We evolved from basketball to now promoting health education and life readiness,” Jakki said. 

Their wellness and education center now includes a yoga studio and outpatient therapy. But just as participation began to pick up, COVID-19 hit. Although this was a difficult time in the world, Corvin was grateful to stay connected with the students online, and Jakki shared her appreciation for the community’s support.

After the initial shock of COVID-19, D-UP received an anonymous donation to purchase land next to their main building. The organization planned to use the space for a black box theater as part of the Washington Street enhancement project. Additionally, a new gymnasium is being built featuring a dance and STEM room along with retail space. 

Jakki is grateful to serve as the president and Corvin as the vice president of the Washington Street Community Association, where they work together with the residents and the other businesses on the street to enhance revitalization. 

Their capital campaign, “Restore the Hope,” has raised over $15 million for just one building so far. 

So why the name? 

“Not because the hope is gone, but it’s for so many other people to see hope, because if you don’t have hope, then you really can’t even see what the changes are in front of you,” said Jakki. 

Although the couple lives in Greensboro, they chose to build D-UP in High Point because of its potential. 

“Once we were here, I think they chose us, and I say that because of the way that the community and the city have embraced us and what we’re doing. We definitely don’t work in a silo because we understand the importance of partnership and collaboration,” Jakki said. “I think being able to do that, you could just tell that people want to help you, especially when you’re meeting the needs of the community.” 

Jakki is honored to be a Citation Award honoree with North Carolina for Community and Justice and a 2023 Humanitarian Award recipient. 

Currently, outside of their facility is a short-term community garden, but Jakki has a long-term goal of turning it into housing. Families would live there while participating in a two-year housing preparation program designed to help them become homeowners. 

“Our whole thing is to see children not just surviving, but thriving, and you have to ensure that families are doing the same,” said Jakki. 

“When I say we are a family — a village — that is how our Bonnors, our service learners, truly don’t leave us,” Jakki said. “I mean, they may graduate, but we can’t tell you how many happy Father’s Day, Mother’s Day and happy birthdays we get. We just went to a wedding of one of our service learners and a baby shower. It is a business, but it truly is family.” 

They have three daughters who also help at D-UP. Their eldest earned her master’s, returned to work at D-UP and is now pursuing a Ph.D. Their middle child worked with them until she graduated from A&T and is now earning her masters in the U.K. 

“As beautiful and brilliant as they are, our daughters, what I love most is their caring hearts and desire to serve the community,” Jakki said. 

Running a nonprofit as a family could create issues in creating a work-life balance — but not for Corvin and Jakki. 

“When you love what you do, you don’t look at it like it’s work,” Jakki said. 

They each have different strengths, allowing them to perform well together. 

“I couldn’t ask for a better person to have this journey with than my wife because when you realize who that person is and what that person stands for, then it’s easy,” Corvin said. “We couldn’t ask for a better staff than what we have because everybody has their own niche, and it’s so important to have that.”  

With about a year until their new gym is complete, Corvin and Jakki are excited for what’s to come. 

“Now we see what is starting to happen on Washington Street, which is coming true for everybody, the entire city,” Corvin said. “I’m just excited to be in there to shoot my first shot in the gymnasium.” 

While he’s eager for the basketball aspect, he’s also excited for the children. 

“It’s exciting, you know, just to see your dream come true and to see the faces on these kids,” said Corvin. 

“It’s just been so enlightening; there’s been ups and downs, but it’s all been great. I mean, that’s just been our story, that’s been our journey, and we celebrate along the way,” Jakki said. “We’ve met a lot of people who have helped us, and then there are a lot of lessons that we have learned along the way. We just wanted to embrace this whole thing.”

By Ashley Smith