Connecting Communities to End Gun Violence is NYAGV Ed Fund’s newest initiative: a statewide education program to provide factual information about the impact local gun violence is having on our own communities and what solutions are most effective locally. We’re fostering critical conversations among local experts and activists working at the nexus of gun violence and its root causes – all with the goal of making New York communities safer and stronger. 

As our nation starts to see hope for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the epidemic of gun violence shows little sign of slowing down in New York. Last year brought a 75 percent increase in shootings and an 82 percent increase in gun homicides in New York State, and early indications in 2021 show no sign of a retreat. 

But misconceptions about gun violence litter the path to effective solutions. These misconceptions and misunderstandings have grave consequences; whether in the form of police shootings or interpersonal violence, fear and misinformation often combine to deadly effect. Without widespread public awareness of the ways in which gun violence and its root causes affect different communities, we cannot hope to enact solutions that achieve both safety and justice.

That’s why we’re putting together locally-focused webinars (and, eventually, in-person events) designed to shine a spotlight on how gun violence impacts communities in New York, what local, on-the-ground solutions are working, and what else we can do to ensure safety and justice for all New Yorkers.

Contact us  if you’d like to help put on a Connecting Communities event in your neighborhood!