Posts by Mary Stonor Saunders
Jaya Beemon Foundation story featured on Good Morning America
Gun violence killed her daughter. How Chicago mom is rallying other ‘warrior moms’ for change. Watch the full piece HERE
Read MoreWhy We Need Community Organizations
Strides for Peace has always been guided by the belief that we all have a stake in ending gun violence, and when we value and honor our interconnectedness and humanity, real change is possible, lives can be changed and even saved. This has never been more apparent than this past year as we have struggled…
Read MoreChange Is A Human Experience
At Strides for Peace‘s Madison Street Community Pop-Up, we were blessed to have community organizations from the south and west sides join to support, provide resources and share love on a block and that has been struggling. We arrived to the sounds of sirens responding to a nearby shooting and trash strewn all over the street.…
Read MoreRace Against Gun Violence Offers Opportunities for Corporate Social Responsibility
The impetus to get involved, to “do” something to make a positive difference and connect to others, has never been greater. Yet the need for social distancing has impacted every aspect of our lives, not the least of which is how to harness the good will of people who want to help their communities and those…
Read MoreThe Trace covers an important reality: violence interrupters need to be compensated fairly for their critical work
Violence interrupters do some of the most dangerous work for little pay and oftentimes little to no benefits. Since the pandemic, they have been exposed to even more hazards, as they have been distributing food, PPE and health information to those who are in greatest need. They are also exposed to trauma on a regular…
Read MoreStrides for Peace remembers Greg Zanis, the Crossman, during National Gun Violence Survivor Week
As National Gun Violence Survivor Week comes to a close, I pay tribute to our beloved Greg Zanis, the Crossman, who died last year. He devoted his life to honoring and humanizing gun violence survivors. A gun violence survivor himself, Greg held a special place in the hearts of survivors across the country, and especially…
Read MoreStrides for Peace Announces Strategic Leadership Council
By establishing this Strategic Leadership Council, we are advancing our commitment to equitable relationships with the communities we strive to serve. Our Community Partners have long brought an intrinsic and strategic value to our work through lived and professional experience, as well as a deep understanding of opportunities and barriers to increasing impact in the collective effort to…
Read MoreBlock Club Chicago features Strides for Peace film event
Ten films highlighting how community organizations battled gun violence, coronavirus and civic unrest screened and discussed in partnership with the Gene Siskel Film Center. Read the full article HERE
Read MoreWe All Have A Stake
The celebration of the individual was never meant to be the adulation of the selfish, but the liberation of human potential. I finally completed my personal Race Against Gun Violence this week, while visiting Washington, D.C. Starting at the Supreme Court, past the Capitol, I ran by the American Indian Museum, Washington Memorial, National Archives…
Read MoreRace Against Gun Violence: CPD & Youth featured in ABC 7 news piece
Before the race took place at Columbus Park, officers invited kids to talk about the impact violence has had on their lives.
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