Seeking "solutions:" Community advocates engage youth in effort to stop gun violence

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- On the heels of a very violent week -- combating gun violence in Milwaukee is a hot topic. A group of community advocates think the answer is tied to the city's youth.

Police tape, flashing lights and many tears. That was a familiar sight last week in the City of Milwaukee, with 14 shootings from Sunday to Sunday -- including seven homicides. As the city tries to heal, community advocates are taking action to get Milwaukee teens involved.

"I do want to hear what young people think are the solutions," said Ann Wilson with the Hillside Family Resource Center.

Through a series of mini-grants from Milwaukee's "Coming Together" partnership, six community organizations will plan events to engage and educate teenagers. Anti-violence campaigns, youth forums, and training neighborhood ambassadors.

"The perpetrators of the violence work non-stop. So we need to make sure, being in this field, that we are working non-stop as well,"said Jamaal Smith with Safe & Sound.

Part of the grant money will go towards organizing neighborhood canvasses to connect with the youth and their families, talk about gun safety and the ramifications of owning a weapon.

Police say 15-year-old Marco Hilson was in a gang, though his family denies that. Hilson died last week, after police say he stole a car and then crashed it into four others. He had been wanted since February.

Organizations like St. Charles Youth and Family Services want to help teens realize they don't have to die the way Hilson did.

"If you do what`s right, if you follow what we say, this is what you can have, if not this is what`s coming to you," said Donald Porter, St. Charles Youth and Family Services.

These advocates say there is no time to waste.

"Violence occurs and there has been too much blaming and finger-pointing," said Dawn Barnett, Running Rebels.

Each mini-grant is between $750 to $1,000. The money will be used for efforts between April and September.

The mini-grants were awarded to:
1.       HILLSIDE RESOURCE CENTER-MILWAUKEE HOUSING AUTHORITY: to support a community forum and development of a youth council on a neighborhood anti-gun violence campaign.
2.       NEU-LIFE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: to support a week-long neighborhood project involving youth and ending with a major community event.

3.       RUNNING REBELS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION: for costs in the production of a video and the printing and distribution of 10,000 post cards in an anti-gun violence effort in neighborhoods in  53205 and 53206 zipcodes.

4.       SAFE & SOUND: to fund events that are part of a youth developed gun violence neighborhood based project.
5.       ST CHARLES YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES: for involving 100 juveniles currently in the agency’s court mandated activities for community outreach efforts.

6.       WALNUT WAY: for support to the Walnut Way Peace Project by providing training of neighborhood ambassadors to foster positive relationships in the community.