Phillip Foster is being rewarded for his work as a counselor at Leake and Watts in Hunts Point, where he helps teens from troubled backgrounds.

"[I] actually went through the same trials and tribulations as these kids and was able to turn my life around," Foster says. "So working with these kids is an honor."

Foster says his mother was an alcoholic, and his father wasn't around, so he wound up on of the streets of Mount Vernon. His decisions as a youth led him to prison, but eventually he discovered a purpose in life, he says.

He says his new goal in life is to help change kids' frame of thinking so that they can realize that life has more to offer them than the streets.

Because of his efforts in the area, he was recognized by New York Nonprofit Media for his commitment to counseling teens with an award on Tuesday.