PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As Philadelphia’s gun violence crisis continues to affect young people, a group in West Philly has stepped up to the call to serve, with hopes of saving lives.
"I feel like something needs to change. I'm tired of getting on social media or cutting my TV on, seeing the news, and there's always like something, somebody got shot, somebody got killed in our community, in our neighborhood," said Essence Gordon.
Gordon is part of Peer2You, a team of certified peer specialists leading a gun violence intervention program.
"We can't keep waiting around for somebody else to make a difference. I feel like it starts with us."
Terren Jackson says the Peer2You team understands the systemic inequities and challenges of growing up in the inner city.
"I lived in North Philly and West Philly most of my life. I come from a broken home, parents struggling with their situations they had going on. Grandmother raised me. Aunts and uncles raised me. And so I was one of these kids that went to multiple schools in the city and lived in various neighborhoods in the city. When I look at these kids, I see me," Jackson said.
"I really gotta be thankful, because I should have been a statistic a long time ago. And I just say I'm proof of you can come from these type of backgrounds and still, later on down the line, make something positive out of your life."
With more than 150 of Philadelphia's shooting victims this year under the age of 18, Executive Director Bria Young says their goal is to make real change in the city through intervention, group therapy and activities.
She says there is a Peer2You event at the end of every month.