We know that trauma experienced after gun violence is devastating. We have grieved this trauma together because of the increased exposure we all have to mass and community shootings. These acts of violence have taken up so much of our attention as a nation this year and the last several years of violence have negatively affected our collective mental health. The city of Chester and Delaware County has known this trauma intimately as a community.
Chester Community Coalition with our partners, Crozer Chester Medical Center and Swarthmore College did a study to understand how significantly the City of Chester has been affected by gun violence over the last 20 years, using Crozer's deidentified data.
We learned that most of the shootings that take place in the County disproportionately happen in the City of Chester. We learned that Black men in their 20s are most affected by this violence. We learned that the overall reinjury rate of people who have been shot is 11%. Seeing our work reflected in the data makes the urgency even greater.
This work belongs to all of us, as a nation, and as individuals. If trauma goes untreated, violence in the City of Chester and across our country will continue to rise. We have the knowledge and strength to eliminate gun violence and manifest PEACE in all our communities.
The best part of our work is that it makes real change.
We see it every day, especially in those we are honored to work with. When people are provided access to the tools and resources to care for themselves, amazing things happen! Your support has been critical to us continuing to deliver on our promise to heal the psychological and emotional impact of homicides and reduce trauma-related reactive violence in the City of Chester, PA.
See our Annual Report to learn more and reach out to us to continue being part of the work in 2023 and beyond. |
