This week is Peace Week – a week-long series of events designed to inspire communities to take on peace. The Legal Aid Society is proud to stand with our community partners as we work to bring peace to neighborhoods across our city and stop gun violence.

Victor Dempsey, a community organizer for our Community Justice Unit, hosted our very own Peace Week event on Thursday, featuring speakers who shared their experiences with gun violence in their communities. These credible messengers, leaders, peace makers and activists work alongside our Community Justice Unit to educate and serve vulnerable neighborhoods in all five boroughs. Our CJU follows the Cure Violence model, which addresses gun violence as a public safety issue. With our partners, the CJU empowers communities with legal wrap-around services to develop proactive strategies to reduce violence.

Sister Coco, a Site Manager with our partner Man Up!, had her sister killed by gun violence. Now, she and her colleagues work alongside our CJU to help women in her community who have also been affected by violence. “I work every day to make sure no family has to feel the pain that my family went through,” she told the audience.

Special thanks to all of our community partners who helped make this Peace Week possible: Thank you to 696 Build Queensbridge, Man Up! Inc, Where Do We Go From Here, Inc., Lifecamp, Inc., Amsterdam News, and True 2 Life.