Honoring Local Businesses for Helping to Silence Violence in Philadelphia.

WHEREAS,

T

he East of Broad Improvement Association, Health Partners, the Institute for Safe Families, K-Mart, Men United for a Better Philadelphia, and Mothers in Charge, in response to the escalating violence that has been plaguing the City of Philadelphia, have partnered with each other to “Silence Violence” in Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, The heightened violence in the city has had a devastating impact on our community, leading not only to an increase in the number of senseless murders in Philadelphia, but also a decrease in the number of local businesses and job opportunities in the City, thereby creating a vicious cycle of continued unemployment and violence; and

WHEREAS, The goal of the Silence Violence initiative is to urge everyone, local residents and Philadelphia’s business community in particular, to get as involved as they can in efforts to reduce violence in Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, The Silence Violence initiative also seeks to promote the need to develop and implement multiple approaches to dealing with the City’s violence epidemic: more jobs, after school programs, education, mentoring, mental health programs, etc.; and

WHEREAS, Silence Violence has received support from local residents and other business leaders who demonstrated their commitment to take a stand against violence by signing a pledge to be a peace maker; and

WHEREAS, The participating Silence Violence organizations, with the help of the City Council of Philadelphia and the Mayor’s Office, will present the peace pledge, with over 400 signatures, as a challenge to other local businesses to acknowledge the devastating impact that violence has on the health and well-being of City residents and our local economy, and to commit their leaders to join our efforts to stem the tidal wave of violence in Philadelphia; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor this first group of Silence Violence organizations and urge others to work with them to Silence Violence and advocate for a safer Philadelphia.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Mary K. Stom, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Health Partners, on behalf of Silence Violence, and as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

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