Violence, Interrupted by Eddie’s House (West Philly)
Help to choose a less deadly path
A group of young men turn away from violence and make change
A group of young men were already on the police’s radar. Then one of their moms brought them to Eddie’s House. The first day became a full fledged fight, but eventually the violence interrupters helped them find a different path that didn’t involve the gang.
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Faced with a group of young men already on the radar of the police, Omar, Director of Community Crisis for Eddie’s House for the Philadelphia Office of Public Safety Division of Safe Neighbors, and his colleagues met them where they were, listening to their needs. Sometimes it was as simple as pizza and a place to charge their phones. Other times it was vouching for them at a police traffic stop, or helping with the motivation to graduate high school.
The group grew from 6, to more than 10 young men eventually. Slowly, a bond formed and the team at Eddie’s House were able to show the young men an alternative life to crime and guns.
Now the group are headed to graduations and careers, not jail time and trips to the hospital or the morgue.
