Deafeating This Epidemic

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Friend —

With near 30 shootings in 2 months, it’s easy to feel defeated. It’s easy to feel like our work is not successful. Fear and pain takes over, and it’s easy to forget that what we’re faced with is an epidemic. Gun violence is a public health epidemic. And we must treat it like one.

PIX11 visited LIFE Camp last week. Take a behind the scenes look at LIFE Camp and get to know (some of) the work we do on the frontlines to treat this epidemic.

When a flu epidemic breaks out in our community, we all respond and play our role. We identify those infected — we isolate and treat them. We identify those at risk — we ensure they have access to the care they need to stay healthy. We ensure flu shots are available and run PSAs on washing our hands.

We need to respond to the epidemic of violence this same way. All of us, together.

As members of our community, as parents and caretakers, we all have to play our role.

Know who your kids are hanging out with.
Keep your kids active: get them involved in activities and programs. If activities and programs are not available for your kids, get loud and demand that they become available.
Be intentional: it’s always better to prevent a disease than to treat it once it hits.

It’s going to take continued work, and we all must do our part. And we can’t get lost in the fear and pain. Together, we must be #ALLIN4PEACE.