CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A number of community events this weekend are helping kick off the unofficial start to summer while trying to tamp down gun violence in Chicago.
In Little Village, there were people dancing, offers of rental assistance and most importantly, a safe activity for neighbors to engage in.
Organizer Esmeralda Gonzalez told CBS 2, the event is an example of how they want to be proactive, not reactive.
"If we build community and we come together and we actually get to know one another, then we get to know what those triggers are to try to avoid them. We get to know what makes that person feel love and want to be part of the community and want to help build that community," Gonzalez said.
The group of My block, My Hood, My City helped put on that and an event in Englewood where people constructed a love wall at Ogden Park, with pictures honoring young people killed by guns over the last several months.