Saving Our Communities

Many pastors and church members, specifically in the City of Boston have banned together in order to try and prevent crime. Or work with city officials to help solve crimes that have already been committed. Some went so far, they actually hit city street corners in dangerous neighborhoods and held marches and rallies againsts gang violence. Even the Mayor of Boston Menino has said churches represent a key ally in crime reduction. Alot of pastors from different churches get together to support families and victims of crimes. By doing so they may actually be preventing another murder or city street violence threw retaliation. Pastors can be a great help to police by persuading teenagers and young adults to tell police what they know about crimes, Menino has said. ''We cannot, we will not allow you to terrorize our community," said Pastor Raymond Hammond, chairman of the Boston TenPoint Coalition, an anticrime group credited in part with reducing crime in the last decade. ''We will not have mothers and grandmothers afraid to step out of their homes. We're not going to live like that." Pastor Hammond is one of the few pastors in the city who has actually done something about trying to prevent violence. At the church Pastor Hammond is head of Bethel A.M.E in Jamaica Plain there is a youth program called Brighter Horizons. Which is ran by a ex-gang member turned good in which Pastor Hammond played a significant role in changing this young mans life. The Brighter Horizon Program is for Boys and Girls between the ages of 10-17. It provides after school programs for the kids who some are referred by court officials, school counslers, and concerned parents. The kids go after school and do home work and educational field trips as well as fun projects and field trips they can enjoy and the biggest incentive for these young kids they all receive a payment each month for attending. The actual payment is based on how many days out the month they attend. This itself gives the kids a reason to show up and look forward to something at the end of the month. The kids receiving a payment may in some cases prevent these very same kids from doing illegal things to make money to buy the new pair of sneakers or clothes they may want, which could lead to violence if they chose the road to make money illegally.