KALAMAZOO, Mich. — As violence in the city of Kalamazoo remains an issue, Mothers of Hope is addressing the issue the best way they know how— tackling every problem with love.
From events and community discussions to advocating against gun violence, Peer Support Specialist Gwen Lanier and Board President Dolphin Payne say it’s been a good 25 years for the organization.
“We do our very best to support people and be there for them. We try our best to see them through whatever processes that they're going through,” Lainer told FOX 17.
While youth crime has been an ongoing issue, Lanier says their first step in addressing the violence is pushing all judgment aside.
“A lot of times when you look at an incident, it's a lot that's involved in an incident, to how it got to that particular place that made it be a bad incident.” She went on to add that when trauma doesn’t get addressed and when people don’t get the help they need, it results in poor choices.
Payne says it’s not enough to just talk about how to stop violence, she says they’ve created programs that include culturally competent therapists.
“We're using different kinds of methodology to help children progress through trauma through they're not only that they're experiencing at home, but in the community,” Payne told FOX 17.
Mothers of Hope knows there is still a lot of work to be done. They are hosting a recovery walk on August 5. The theme is up with hope, down with dope.
Check out our list of community resources available to help in West Michigan.