CHICAGO (WLS) — Lots of of younger individuals took a pledge to be an envoy of peace of their communities.
The UCAN Chicago program, who works with underserved youth, hosted the pledge for the primary time in response to the everyday enhance of violence over the vacation weekend.
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Practically 200 youth took the pledge on Wednesday to be the answer to gun violence of their communities. A few of them stated this system is how they’re honoring the family members they misplaced.
UCAN members are altering the narrative of gun violence this summer season.
“My boyfriend, he died in February,” UCAN peacekeeper Kayla Medina stated. “It simply actually pushed me to maintain going arduous.”
Medina was certainly one of practically 200 individuals age 16 to 25 who made the choice to face towards violence by taking the UCAN pledge at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church on the South Facet.
“It actually gave me like aid, as a result of it simply exhibits me that although he isn’t right here, I am nonetheless dwelling for him,” Medina stated.
Final yr, 109 individuals had been shot, 19 fatally, in gun violence throughout Chicago over the Fourth of July vacation weekend. It is a large purpose why the UCAN program supplies younger individuals employment readiness preparation and offers them an opportunity to take part in job shadowing with over 50 employer-partners.
Extra importantly, UCAN is altering lives.
“I have been homeless about about three, 4 months earlier than coming to UCAN,” peacekeeper Tatiana Woods stated. “After which, ever since I got here to UCAN… UCAN has been serving to me higher myself.”
This system, which has served as a sanctuary for trauma expertise from gun violence, has impressed these like Woods to turn into a mentor to youthful children.
“I truly consider most of our youngsters need to be part of the answer,” UCAN CEO Christa Hamilton. “They simply may not understand how, and this offers them the avenue and one thing very tangible to talk these phrases out loud.”
“I by no means thought I might be the one to try this. I by no means thought it,” Woods stated. “However working, working with them, UCAN, it actually modified my life.”
UCAN stated they plan to have all 700 youth they work with to take the pledge, with an enormous celebration on the finish of the yr.
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