STOP the Funeral walk to be held Saturday
By From staff reports
Published in News on July 22, 2010 1:46 PM
The STOP the Funeral Initiative will hold a Unity Prayer Walk on Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. at St. Mark Church of Christ at 700 W. Ash St.
Walkers will proceed through West Haven Apartments.
The STOP the Funeral Initiative was created following the murder of a young woman at a funeral several years ago. It is a collaborative effort of Rebuilding Broken Places CDC, the Goldsboro-Wayne branch of the NAACP and the Wayne County Faith Initiative aimed at developing awareness of drug and gang violence in the community.
Francine Smith, program manager for Rebuilding Broken Places, said members of the community are willing to attend the funeral of a slain young person but questioned whether they are willing to come out and support the campaign that would have prevented the funeral.
"We can't let funerals be the only times these young people know that the faith community cares about them," she said. "We must keep our resolve to bring the message of redemption and change to our community."
Churches and civic groups involved in the initiative are asked to wear their T-shirts and carry their banners during the walk. Members of more than 40 churches are expected to take part in the event.
The theme for the walk is, "A Wake Up Call -- This Time it is Personal." It is intended to set the stage for the group's Drug Dealer Gang Member Redemption Conference to be held in November.
For more information, call (919) 581-9178 or (919) 735-9059.