HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Dr. Derwin Hickman, and members of his congregation at Divine World Changers Church in Henrico, are speaking out, hitting the streets, and offering solutions to help curb the rise of violent crime.
"We want to offer opportunities to the community for safe places," Hickman said. "We have really been inundated with a lot of killings, shootings, suicides, and homicides that are affecting our youth. We want to be a part of a change agent. Let them know we are the light and we want to go from north, south, east and west showing the love of Christ."
Hickman and his church have extended their outreach effort across the region to young people throughout the summer. They're pulling in mental health counselors, neighbors and community advocates to collaborate on gun violence prevention efforts.
"We are running for shelter and what we are showing children in the world today, is we are not being the best role models. We are creating an environment that is not conducive to good mental health. This is the reason we need to get together in unity. All races and all religions coming together. All communities coming together to say we need each other," Hickman said.
Church members and advocates say they feel compelled to be part of the solution which is why they plan to take their message of hope to young people in the community.
They believe it's going to take an outpouring of love and kindness to make a difference.
"What can we do? Get involved. When I say get involved, it's finding opportunities that we can go beyond the walls. It is important to me that if I can save one more life, if I can save one more family from hurt, grief or disappointment or feeling hopeless, then it would have all been worth it," Hickman said.
CBS 6 Crime 360 coverage explores the problems and possible solutions to crime in Central Virginia. You'll hear diverse perspectives from everyone involved in this crisis, including survivors, families, doctors, former inmates, police, preachers, and lawmakers.
