Saturday event scheduled to help mothers of gun violence victims

INDIANAPOLIS – On Saturday, the eve of Mother’s Day, mothers of those lost to gun violence will come together to mourn, connect, build community and fellowship together.

The event named “Breathe Again And Still I Rise”, will feature local faith leaders and grieving mothers sharing their stories while breaking bread with others in the community who have experienced gun violence and those simply looking to make a change.

Tamara Harris, the lead event organizer and founder of Smart Family Development, said the purpose of the event is to provide community support for those mourning devastating losses in the wake of recent gun violence in the city.

"People do not realize how hard this is on the parents of the victims," Harris said. "They are faced with such a big loss. This violence we see daily has harm on our city. Not only mothers and families, but the community faces challenges from this violence. We are just trying to help those directly affected with this event."

Harris said the hope, given the already overcrowding within the group, is that there will be fewer people involved next year.

"Having less mothers there next year means less crime," Harris said. "That would be a great thing for our city, but violence will never go away so we plan to hold these events annually to help."

Wrap-around services including therapy are also offered to the mothers involved.

The event is scheduled to run from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday at 5035 W. 71^st St, Suite D.