Be the King: Annual Gun Buy Back Day – Practicing Non-Violence is Priceless
In partnership with the City of Pittsburgh Police Department, Police Chief Scott Schubert, the Episcopal Lutheran Alliance, and Homewood Ministries, the Church of the Holy Cross will sponsor a community non-violence gun buy back event on MLK Day, January 20, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Be the King: Annual Gun Buy Back Day – Practicing Non-Violence is Priceless” event will feature music, refreshments and the buy back of firearms up to $100 per gun surrendered – no questions asked!
The event takes place on the day we pause to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – “the Apostle of Non-Violence.” Because of its historic role in community engagement and outreach, Holy Cross became a logical and highly visible site for this event. “This Gun Buy Back project recognizes that Black Americans are disproportionately the victims of gun violence – more than 85% of black homicide victims are shot and killed by guns. It is imperative that the church be on the front line of caring for and protecting our community,” said Reverend Torrey Johnson, the Priest-in-Charge at Holy Cross.
Holy Cross recently was the site of a double homicide that occurred only feet from the doors of the church. Minister Guy Brown, Holy Cross’ Outreach Coordinator who is organizing the gun buy initiative at Holy Cross said, “We witnessed the aftermath and impact of the homicide the of two victims right here on the corner of Kelly and Collier streets, the very intersection on which the Church of the Holy Cross sits. Had the episode occurred later in the morning, church members and particularly young children could have been caught in a cross fire. We must do what ever we can to reduce gun violence, and perhaps save a life or two.”
Officers from the Pittsburgh Police Department will be on-site at Holy Cross to supervise and manage the gun buy back event.
Holy Cross Church is raising the funds necessary to cover the cost of the buyback and is accepting donations online through the Episcopal Lutheran Alliance at https://elallianceinc.org/donate, or by checks mailed to the church.
Holy Cross is located at 7507 Kelly Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15208, in the Homewood South neighborhood. https://historichcpa.org
For more information, please contact Minister Guy Brown at 412-242-3209.