Abundant Love Impedes Violent Engagements
ALIVE
We have begun our ALIVE Initiative, in loving memory of the close friends and family we have lost to gun violence, as well as all of the others in Newport News. We will do all that we can to ensure our young men and the Aqueduct community will remain Abundantly Loved to Impede Violent Engagements.
According to City-Data.Com, in 2019, the Newport News violent crime rate was 336.1 trumping the national average of 205.8. NNPD Chief Steve Drew recently stated there were a total of 93 nonfatal shootings and 30 homicides for the year of 2021 which is the highest number seen in the city since 2016.
A Sense of Purpose
We take our mentees to participate in volunteer opportunities with various organizations to allow them to have a change of heart toward people. It also allows them to see their self-worth and highlights their ability to be of benefit to others despite the reality of not having a positive male figure in the home. Once they fully understand that it’s not about where they come from or what they may lack in life but living a life fully ALIVE with a sense of purpose, community, and contributing to others—risk factors associated with potential violent engagements will be removed.
Serving with Love
One way we serve the Aqueduct community is hosting monthly community events as well as our annual Winter Coat Distribution, Back to School Bash, and Winter Bash. In the past, we coordinated with Alpha and Omega Ministries and their PACCT Initiative (Police and Concerned Citizens Together) addressing food insecurity to provide one big community event.
