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Please consider signing this support letter for Advance Peace Fresno. We would like to use this show of support as part of our larger efforts to secure ongoing, sustainable funding to ensure expansion and operation of the program in a way that maximizes our programmatic and community outcomes.
Community Letter of Support
An open letter to community leaders and funders:
We write to you as residents of Fresno who care deeply about this place that we call home. Far too many of us have lost fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, friends, and neighbors to the epidemic of gun violence. Those of us who are not touched directly are affected by the trauma that ripples through our city. We cannot merely stand by and bear witness to another needless act of violence. We must act. As a community, we are united in full support of Advance Peace Fresno’s mission to reduce gun violence in the City of Fresno.
In 2009, residents in Richmond, CA convinced city officials to invest in preventing the violence that was plaguing their neighborhoods. Advance Peace was born out of this effort. Since then, the communities of Richmond, Sacramento, and Stockton have shown success in decreasing gun violence with the Advance Peace model, which focuses on building relationships and providing opportunities for people who may feel that violence is their only choice. These cities demonstrate the program’s effectiveness and the potential promise for Fresno.
The City of Fresno experienced a considerable spike in gun violence in 2020, with 69 gun-related homicides and more than 700 shootings, an increase of 64% and almost 100%, respectively, over the previous year. Every corner of our community has been impacted.
Now, more than ever, our city needs this new and innovative solution to lessen gun violence. We know both lives and dollars will be saved through Advance Peace Fresno’s work, and as such, we support the program’s efforts to grow and serve the most vulnerable among us.
We strongly urge you to support Advance Peace Fresno’s request by providing resources that will save lives and transform our community.
