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
Street canvassing leads to a mother with an older son already involved in gun violence taking her younger son to the outreach program at Eddie’s House when she sees him making the same choices. Eddie’s House’s experts show them a different path.
Do your lawmakers know? Tell them!
Faced with a group of young men already on the radar of the police, Omar at Eddie’s House 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 9 and 15 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.
