Sylacauga Peacemakers hosting Unity Walk to honor victims and stop violence

SYLACAUGA, Ala. (WBRC) - A group in east Alabama is honoring fallen victims of gun violence and working to make their community safer.

The Sylacauga Peacemakers are hosting a Community Unity Walk on April 15 at 11 a.m. on Main Avenue.

Tina Sanders and Donna Thornton are the founders whose goal is to restore these communities and restore pride. Organizers say crime is a problem that will take everyone working together to solve.

“We got to get to work in our community: that’s our community at the end of the day,” says Sanders. “This is where we live. This is where our children play and go to school.”

The organization steps in for families who’ve loved ones due to violence.

“We try to assist the family if it’s grief counseling. If it’s children are left behind,” says Sanders. “Whatever we can do to assist them. Even in some families, we have assisted them with headstones. Not just at that moment even two weeks after everything is over when the house is empty and you’re looking for your son or your daughter to walk through the door. Or that phone call. You can always reach out to us.”

Sanders is taking their work a step further by hosting the walk and she’s calling on local leaders for support.

“We’re asking that the community come out, churches come out,” says Sanders. “Bring your banners to bring pictures of your loved ones. Come out and let’s unify together to make this community better.”

Sanders wants the sense of pride to return to these neighborhoods and she says it starts with people.

“This is our community,” says Sanders. “So when we argue about what the police are doing, what are we doing? Because the police are doing what they can, but if you say something they could do more. See something say something.”

Sanders says she’d like as many people to come out to honor these victims and also come up with solutions to stop the violence.

To learn more, you can call 716-816-8264 or 205-829-3388.

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