Friend, Nearly 25,000 Pennsylvanians have died from COVID-19. In response, our elected officials mobilized to identify solutions and implement critical actions to save lives. But they aren’t mobilizing nearly enough for another epidemic ravaging Philadelphia. Gun violence has reached terrifying levels in our neighborhoods. If current trends keep up, we’re on track to have 500 shooting victims in Philadelphia before the summer hits. This is disastrous, and it requires immediate action. On April 15th, Mayor Kenney will announce his budget for the coming year, which could determine the direction of Philadelphia for years. Join us for a rally to tell Mayor Kenney and City Council: Invest in safer communities for Philadelphia. What: Invest in Safer Communities Rally
When: Friday, April 9th 12:00pm -2:00pm
Who: CeaseFirePA, Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia, D.I.V.A.s Ministry Group, elected officials, and others. Masks and social distancing are required. The upcoming budget provides an opportunity to invest in proven efforts to deescalate dangerous situations, support victims, and use trauma-informed approaches to reduce violence. The Philadelphia Inquirer profiled some of the solutions including hospital-based intervention, pairing cognitive therapy with workforce development, and street intervention efforts this weekend. Now we need to make the investment happen. Join CeaseFirePA along with community-based violence prevention organizations, faith leaders, health professionals, and other Philadelphians to call for critical community investments in the upcoming budget. We need to treat gun violence like the public health crisis it is before we see 500 people shot in our city, and 500 families devastated by gun violence. This investment should include funding street outreach programs and other community-based violence prevention programs that have been proven to reduce violence. It should also include coordination between healthcare providers, community leaders, and city officials. And critically, all allocated funding must include processes for transparency and accountability Can you join us Friday, April 9th to call for a city budget that prioritizes gun violence intervention?
Adam Garber
Executive Director CeaseFirePA | 
