PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pete Kane is one of dozens who came out to the gun violence rally at Christlike Pleasant Green Faith Baptist church Sunday.
“I have lost relatives on the street seven of the last 13 years,” he said.
The rally, hosted by nonprofit Mothers in Charge, gave people like Kane a chance to address violence prevention and education through a featured course on the subject. They also had community-based intervention programs.
“The church is a soul survivor for the community,” Kane explained. “We need to get our young people back into church. We’re doing that and having them in here to talk to our congregation and give them the message there is hope because sometimes we give up, because all we see are our young men being killed.”
Green Faith First Lady Tonita Chapman says it’s imperative for them to have programs like this at their church to show the youth and community that there’s more to the city than violence.
“There is a better way. There is a better city. We can’t give up. That’s why we’re here today: to restore people, to bring about hope, to bring about change so that we can make a difference.”
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Dorthy Johnson-Speight, who started Mothers in Charge 20 years ago after her son was shot seven times over a parking space, says the rally also welcomed many mothers new to their grief.
“We’re hoping that prayer and song and all of that will help to heal them and help them on this journey of unbearable pain and grief that no one should have to endure.”
So far this year there have been more than 210 homicides. More than 100 kids have been shot, and nearly 750 people have been injured by gunshots, according to the Philadelphia Police Department.
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