Baltimore Students Build Memory Garden For Gun Violence Survivors
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A group of students spent Saturday afternoon in west Baltimore building what they're calling a memory garden for gun violence survivors.
Thanks to a grant from the nonprofit organization Philanthropy Tank, students in the Let's Thrive Baltimore Youth Action Program created the garden in Harlem Park.
"We really believe students, 8th to 12th graders, have the best solutions to community promise because they live in it every day," Joann Levy, Executive Director at Philanthropy Tank, said. "So we want to be able to support the future leaders in Baltimore City."
"The healing process for individuals and families who've been impacted by violence for years, and this kind of event led by our young people is the best way to start doing it," Mayor Brandon Scott said.
This comes as Baltimore saw a violent start to this month with at least 10 people shot in the city over Easter weekend.
Recently, police say a 14-year-old girl was shot in the leg in east Baltimore.
On Saturday, a 15-year-old boy was injured in a shooting in southeast Baltimore. According to police, he was also shot in the leg.
Organizers are now calling for action.
"We don't need change later, we need it now," Lisa Molock, Executive Director of Let's Thrive Baltimore, said.
Over 60 personalized heart-shaped stones were placed in the garden, each with a story.
"I lost my mother and father to gun violence," Winter Martin, a west Baltimore resident, said.
The hope is this garden will serve as a stepping stone and a start to healing the community.
"We can do all we want to do, but if our city doesn't heal, the violence is not going to stop," Molock said.
Organizers say this garden will soon be equipped with wifi and be a space for students to do their homework and also meditate with yoga classes.
