CINCINNATI — A local organization is trying to better address one of the major consequences of gun violence: trauma.
The Wesley Chapel Mission Center currently serves dozens of kids each day after school and on weekends. The center is based in the heart of Over-the-Rhine across from Grant Park.
“An overarching theme of our organization is to prevent gun violence,” said Maggie Heil, Director of Communications and Development. “Our kids are impacted by it pretty much on a daily basis.”
In the last few weeks, staff at the center underwent training to better address trauma thanks to a grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.
Heil said children who attend the center might experience trauma from gun violence, as well as poverty and homelessness.
Staff was confronted with one traumatic situation a few weeks ago while students were outside at Grant Park.
“We heard the first gunshot but we thought it was a firecracker,” said Program Director Giovanni Crawford, who was watching about 40 kids with a few other staff members.
The shooting was a few blocks away. A 12-year-old was hit and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
“Our protocol was blow the whistle, protect the kids, get the kids on the ground,” Crawford said.
After a few minutes of quiet, Crawford was about to get the kids up. Then, more gunfire rang out.
“We heard like eight to 10 rounds of other gunshots,” he said.
The children started screaming and crying. Crawford said many were scared to walk home that night.
“It was difficult because you really didn't have an answer for them,” he said.
The training has provided staff with new tools to handle these tough conversations, and better understand how trauma impacts student behavior.
“A lot of our kids have different behavioral issues, based on their experiences and based on some of the tougher moments that they've had to go through,” Heil said.
Heil and Crawford are now urging others to have compassion towards those in situations they might not understand.
“When we judge people based on things that they are not in control of, I think we lose a lot of ability to help,” Heil said.
“Even if it's not happening in your neighborhood, in your family, it's still children who are being impacted,” Crawford said.
