MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee block party brought together community members, families and volunteers Saturday in an effort to build relationships organizers say can reduce violence in the city.
Ronnie Smith and Moesha Carter mentor students at different high schools across Milwaukee with Community Crossroads as Violence Free Zone volunteers. The two say the bonds they form with young people have the power to change lives.
"It's important to have unity in the community, so you know your neighbors," Smith said.
Along with games and activities, community partners connected families with resources designed to support them year-round.
Andre Robinson, director of violence prevention programming, said the event was intentional in its outreach.
"They put a block party together that made sure that they were speaking about the resources available to them at this agency," Robinson said.
The celebration comes against a sobering backdrop. Since last Saturday, a 19-year-old was shot and killed, a 9-year-old died after being shot, and 2 teens were injured in separate shootings.
For Smith, the work is deeply personal.
"I actually lost two youth in this job, so when that happened, it just made my impact on the job better and showed how much being there for them and listening really matters for them," Smith said.
Carter said the impact volunteers can have does not require a long history with someone.
"At the end of the day, whether you meet someone one day or today, you can make an impact on them that fast, that quick," Carter said.
Organizers hope that something as simple as starting a conversation can strengthen the community one connection at a time.
"It's like a village, you know, so we all sticking together," Carter said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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