June 4, 2016 — This year\’s event kicked off with a Stop the Violence march with friends and family members of murdered victims. It was somber moment, yet we were able to witness many neighbors come together to address the violence plaguing the community on the north side of Minneapolis. There were police officers marching hand in hand with mothers and family members that have lost someone to gun violence. Over 500 community members came out to access community resources at the fair and speak out against violence.
This was by far the largest crowd we’ve seen to date and the rain didn’t stop us! In addition to the community showing up we had a host of other attendees, including the current and former Minneapolis Mayors, City Council Members, State Representatives, as well as the Chief of Police and other community leaders.
Thank you to all of our community partners who sponsored this event:
Cub Foods
Cookie Cart
Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN
Neighborhood HealthSource
Northside Achievement Zone
City of Minneapolis, Public Health
NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center
MadDads of Minneapolis and
A Mother\’s Love Initiative
Youthlink
Media Coverage:
KSTP- Ch. 5
WCCO-CBS
Stop the Violence, Bring the Unity is a coordinated effort initiated by Shereese Turner, Senior Program Director of Twin Cities R!SE and V.J. Smith of MADDADS in conjunction with Neighborhood Health Source, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Cub Foods, Cookie Cart, Northside Achievement Zone and North Point Health and Wellness with other concerned citizen groups to raise awareness of the surprisingly broad array of services that are available in our community to raise awareness of the surprisingly broad array of services that are available in our community.
In Minneapolis we have many good programs run by compassionate people who work hard to address the problems and needs of our community. Some of these programs are well-known. Others are small and relatively unknown because they lack the resources for promotion, but they are effective nonetheless. They offer help where help is desperately needed. Connecting people with such resources can be a powerful first step in dealing with the economic disparities which plagues our communities of color.
We believe lasting solutions to our problems can grow from such a holistic and collaborative approach. Together we can heal ourselves and bring peace and unity to our beloved community.
