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Gun-related violence continues
28th of September 2010
The most prominent news in the nation’s capital often seems to be related to federal policy, political campaigns and international diplomacy or wars. Too often the plight of disconnected and impoverished youth and families does not receive the attention which it merits. Volunteers, staff and supporters of Sasha Bruce Youthwork, however, are all too aware of this problem though it often takes a terrible outbreak of violence to bring it to the attention of large numbers of people.
The terrible violence of this past spring and summer included the murder of several young people in our city’s most disenfranchised communities. Though many dedicated public servants and nonprofit agencies are doing their best to educate young people about how to mediate conflicts and prevent crew or gang violence, we have much work still to do. This has been brought home most recently by the tragedy this afternoon in the U Street corridor of Northwest where a conflict among young people, who may be connected to rival crews, resulted in the shooting death of one person and the injury of at least one other. Read more about this tragedy in today’s Washington Post article by Paul Duggan and Mary Flaherty
Sasha Bruce Youthwork’s Project Safe Neighborhoods engages young people at highest risk for gang and crew involvement in positive activities and supportive services designed to promote their independent living skills and their civic responsibility. We know that violence can be prevented; and we know that the best way to do so is to help young people perceive opportunities for becoming responsible and caring adults. Our approach is to engage the entire extended family in positive alternatives to risky lifestyles and we go directly to at-risk families’ homes to build the trusting relationships so essential to preventing and mitigating situations of violence. For more information about our violence prevention work, contact Vera Johnson via e-mail or 202-437-5583. We need everyone’s support more than ever.