New campaign from business leader network aims to raise awareness of gun violence prevention groups
NEW YORK, NY. — June 24, 2021 — Today the Gun Safety Alliance (GSA) is launching its Pre-morial Fund campaign to raise awareness of gun violence issues in major U.S. cities and spotlight the organizations making a difference on the ground to put an end to gun violence.
Every year, 33,000 people die from gun violence in the United States and millions of dollars are donated to related memorial fund campaigns on fundraising platforms. GSA’s Pre-morial Fund begs the question, “what if we could prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening in the first place?” by partnering with key gun violence prevention groups in major cities like New York, San Francisco and Chicago, GSA hopes to raise awareness of, and support for, the critically important work these groups are doing in their communities.
“The Gun Safety Alliance’s ultimate mission is to reduce gun deaths in the US by 50% by 2030, and prevention and proactivity are key to achieving that goal. It’s incredible to see communities rally support for victims of gun violence and donate in their honor, but we want to create a world in which violence is stopped in its tracks and we can avoid the tragic outcomes we’re all too used to. With the launch of our Pre-morial Fund campaign, we want to change the narrative and underscore that gun violence can be prevented so that, one day, there won’t be a need for memorial funds.” – Missy Godfrey, Executive Director of the Gun Safety Alliance.
Donating to one of the Pre-morial Funds below will help ensure these hard-working gun violence prevention groups have the resources they need to conduct their all-too important community outreach and gun violence prevention programs.
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LIFE Camp (New York): Based in Jamaica, Queens and founded by internationally recognized and widely respected peacemaker, Erica Ford, LIFE Camp (Love Ignites Freedom Through Education) develops young leaders and provides youth and families with positive alternatives to violence. In 2020, Southeast Queens saw a 333% increase in gun violence. Donations support preventative programs that provide youth with educational, employment and social opportunities they might not otherwise have. Through LIFE Camp’s model VIP (Violence Intervention & Prevention) system, youth mentorship programs, and award-winning initiatives, violence is approached as a public health crisis, therefore healing & transforming entire communities (website here).
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LIVE FREE (San Francisco): LIVE FREE is a non-profit organization led by Pastor Michael McBride that organizes directly impacted families and individuals to implement community-based violence intervention strategies in black and brown neighborhoods across the country. These community centered, community violence initiatives connect individuals to comprehensive systems of support that address trauma, addiction, housing, and other social needs. These strategies have been associated with 30-60% reductions in shootings and homicides in some of San Francisco’s most vulnerable neighborhoods and have been validated repeatedly through independent evaluations and academic studies (website here).
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Project H.O.O.D. (Chicago): After sleeping on the roof of an abandoned motel for 94 days to bring attention to gun violence on the south side of Chicago, the “Rooftop Pastor” Corey Brooks started Project H.O.O.D. with the goal of transforming the South Side of Chicago into a place without gun violence. Since then, he has brokered gang truces, fed the hungry, and offered a safe space to children in the community. Through a wide variety of programming—including a Violence Prevention Program, B.U.I.L.D Entrepreneurship, and an All-Women Electrical class—Project H.O.O.D. equips people with the resources, tools, and experiences they need to be successful and financially stable members of society (website here).
The Gun Safety Alliance and the above gun violence prevention groups have partnered with Edelman, UM, Dentsu, and Bustle Digital Media Group to bring this campaign to life. Business, organizations, nonprofits, and individuals are encouraged to promote the campaign using the hashtag #PremorialFund to help raise further awareness for this important cause.
For more information on the Gun Safety Alliance, please visit our website. For additional details on all three Pre-Morial Fund campaigns, please visit our GoFundMe page.
About the Gun Safety Alliance
The Gun Safety Alliance is a network of business leaders and committed individuals from across every industry whose collective mission is to reduce gun-related deaths in the US by 50% by 2030. The Gun Safety Alliance is deeply committed to developing gun safety programs and campaigns that foster diversity, inclusion and community building. The Alliance collaborates regularly with Gun Violence Prevention groups in the United States at the national, local, and grassroots levels as well as business executives, political leaders and leading journalists.
Media Contact
Ryan Zimmerman
Edelman
(202) 560-8230
