Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 8-12-22

Local
Hillsborough County Partners With ‘Rise Up For Peace’ To Assist Families Going Through Tragedy
On August 1st, 2022, Rise Up For Peace, a non- profit organization devoted to providing emotional support to families who have lost loved ones to vio- lence, moved into open office space at Lee Davis Community Resource Center, located at 3402 N 22nd Street, Tampa.
The goal for the group is to be present for families reeling from the tragic loss of a loved one to gun vi- olence.
“I am grateful that Hillsborough County is taking a more active role in being there for families going through what so many of us can’t even imagine – losing someone we love to senseless gun violence” says Commissioner Myers.
The partnership between the county and Rise Up For Peace will provide local non-profit with the space it needs to provide counseling services and support to those who are in the throes of grief.
“When Commissioner Myers introduced me to Rise Up For Peace, Ms. Brown and Mr. John- son, I was instantly drawn to them and their pas- sion for offering support to gun violence victims in our community. Sadly, we do see an increasing
Johnny Johnson, Rise Up for Peace, Commissioner Gwen Myers, and Patricia Brown, Rise Up For Peace. (photo by BRUNSON)
need for this type of support and having them in our highest traffic center, will provide the exposure they need to be more visible in our community as well as increase access to our residents to connect with them,” says Audrey Ziegler, County Social Serv-
ices Director.
“Having this office will help to ensure that Rise
Up For Peace remains professional and well-orga- nized while having a clear work space to perform administrative and program task; optimizes inno- vation in the development of important programs that positively impact the community and help to prevent gun violence; provides a central location to collaborate with partners and community members whose mission/purpose aligns with ours; provides a space for impacted families to come for assistance; and help to exemplify a high-level of integrity and branding for our organization that will support community members taking our efforts and mission seriously,” said Patricia Brown and Johnny Johnson of Rise Up For Peace in a joint statement.
“While it is my sincere hope that ‘Rise Up For Peace’ won’t have to serve any families as we in our community strive to combat gun violence, I am thankful to Patricia Brown and Johnny John- son for being willing to extend themselves to others in their darkest times,” says Commissioner Myers.
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