SUBURBAN PEACE ALLIANCE HOSTS SUMMIT TO DISCUSS VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTHLAND REGION
Suburban Peace Alliance Hosts Summit To Discuss Violence In The Southland Region
BY KATHERINE NEWMAN
The South Suburban Peace Alliance recently hosted the South Suburban Intervention Peace Summit on 1906 W. 174th St. in Hazel Crest. The purpose of the Summit was to inform residents on peace and safety plans for the south suburbs and to engage in open discussions about violence in the community and how it can be addressed by residents and grassroots organizers.
“In the Southland region, we are getting the backlash of the trauma and the gun violence in Chicago and it’s something that we have to be proactive about. We have to gather now and mobilize and do what we need to do to help these families in crisis because there are a lot of families suffering from the trauma of gun violence and it goes far beyond just even the fatality. People are suffering and many do not have the proper help nor resources to deal with it because the south suburbs have been tremendously overlooked,” said Kimberly Williams, president and director of the South Suburban Peace Alliance.
The South Suburban Peace Alliance is a nonprofit organization that was created by Williams after she was personally affected by gun violence through the loss of several family members including her son. Through the loss of her son, Williams came to realize that there was a great need for trauma care and victim support services in Chicago’s South Suburbs and took it upon herself to work towards establishing those services and addressing the root causes of violence in the area, according to information provided by the South Suburban Peace Alliance.
“Our primary focal point is to cause intervention and prevention to stop this onslaught of senseless killing and the trauma that it causes because we know that there is a ripple effect and it is affecting the people that live here. This violence is not only taking lives but the negative impact is terrible and it’s affecting families,” said Williams.
Roughly a dozen people attended the South Suburban Intervention Peace Summit and were able to participate in discussions about violence in their communities and how it affects them. The attendees were also able to familiarize themselves with the South Suburban Peace Alliance and its plan for creating peace and safety in the southland region.
“We want the community to know that we’re here for them, that they matter, and that their voice matters. Also, we want to make them aware of our systems, our training, and our services. We launched a Breaking Destructive Cycles of Trauma and Violence reform campaign that we will be moving forward with throughout the faith-based community and taking from church to church to basically engage the community,” said Williams.
The South Suburban Peace Alliance is hosting an Impact Meeting on Oct. 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on 14720 Page Ave. in Harvey and will use the meeting to connect with new volunteers and continue to spread their message.
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