Dear friends,
Today, Friday, June 5, is National Gun Violence Awareness Day and the kick-off of Wear Orange Weekend. Trinity will observe Gun Violence Awareness Sunday this Sunday, June 7. So please wear orange to church this Sunday! Why orange? Because it’s the color of safety for hunters, chosen to honor 15-year-old Hadiya Pendelton, who was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago in 2013.
Aviance Hill will be our guest preacher. Avi is a woman of faith, mother, advocate, behavioral health professional, and community leader whose life reflects perseverance, purpose, and God’s sustaining grace. After the heartbreaking loss of her beloved son, Issac, Aviance made the courageous decision not to allow grief to have the final word over her life. Instead, she chose to transform pain into purpose, dedicating her life to serving others walking through trauma, violence, loss, and hardship. Professionally, she serves as an Enrollment and Data Specialist with TutorSmart and as a Qualified Mental Health Specialist with Treasured Hearts and Minds, while also leading significant community initiatives throughout Toledo. Avi is the co-founder of Sisters 4 Unity, serves as Chapter Leader of Northwest Ohio Parents Of Murdered Children, has leadership roles within Everytown for Gun Safety, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement, and multiple community boards focused on healing, justice, and restoration. But beyond every title, Aviance is a mother who loves fiercely, a servant leader who shows up wholeheartedly, and a woman who believes God can bring beauty from brokenness and purpose from pain. Today, she brings more than a message—she brings a testimony of faith, resilience, healing, and hope. Come hear Avi preach on Sunday!
Since I co-founded the Multifaith Coalition to Reduce Gun Violence three years ago, I’ve been blessed to come to know many survivors like Avi. The Coalition’s involvement in the community-driven process to develop Peace in Motion, the City of Toledo’s five-year plan to reduce violence, led to Trinity receiving a $10,000 grant from Cities United, which helped the City develop the plan. The grant is to support the Coalition’s Unwanted Firearms Disposal Event to be held on Saturday, June 13 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Monroe Street United Methodist Church. This event is a cooperative project of two Episcopal (Trinity, Toledo and St. Timothy’s, Perrysburg), three Lutheran (Olivet, Holy Trinity and Salem), one Methodist (Monroe Street) and one Mennonite (Toledo Mennonite) churches, and Moms Demand Action and Sisters 4 Unity. During the event, gun donors will drive through a prescribed process where their guns will be checked by trained Firearm Safety Officers and then chopped into parts by trained chop saw operators. The gun parts will be made into art objects. Gun donors will receive gift cards for donating their guns. Several of us from Trinity have volunteered to help with the event. We could still use a few more volunteers–sign up at this SignUp Genius link. On June 13, bring the guns that are stored in your attic, basement or garage to the event for safe disposal.
Progress has been made on preventing gun violence in the Toledo area. Free gun locks are now available at all locations of the Toledo public library through the Locks Save Lives program. Moms Demand Action spreads the word about safe storage of guns. On June 9, I will give the invocation at the City Council meeting where a resolution will be introduced to name June as Gun Violence Awareness Month. Many events for youth will be held this summer, including a Cease Fire event on July 2 at Glass City Picnic Pavilion. It is to encourage no shots fired for 48 hours after the event, to remember and not repeat the six fatal shootings that took place in Toledo over last year’s Fourth of July weekend. This is based on an event done in Baltimore, where shots decreased by 47% when they promoted the Cease Fire event.
This Sunday, we will remember victims of gun violence, and honor the bruised and broken, strong and resilient survivors that are leading the movement to prevent gun violence. Free gun locks will be available for anyone who wants them. Here are many resources to explore for more information on how to reduce gun violence: organizations, safe gun storage, books and more. Please email me if you’d like to receive email updates from the Multifaith Coalition to Reduce Gun Violence. See you Sunday with your orange on!
Peace,
Deacon Meribah