CINCINNATI — Cities all across the state are looking for ways to stem teen gun violence.
One Cincinnati community is providing the tools and opportunity to help kids stay out of trouble.
Cutting the grass can be a chore, but for these kids it’s a chance to stay on the right path.
Caleb Mingo, 10, is helping build a brand new lawnmower. It’s one of a dozen new machines provided by Neighborhoods United, a group looking to cut down gun violence in Cincinnati.
Caleb said he’s excited to get started mowing in his community.
“Because it helps other people and it helps me get a brighter future,” Caleb said.
The mowing program is a part of Rites of Passage, a program of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Cincinnati, which is led by Caleb’s grandfather Peterson Mingo.
“We believe we provide prevention first,” Peterson said. “That we can basically change our neighborhoods, change our city, change our country.”
He said the mowing program had already been in place, but its equipment was stolen, putting the program on hiatus. The new equipment revitalizes the program and helps the kids earn money without turning to the streets. Teens in the program are able to keep all of the profits they make.
“One way or another they’re gonna get money,” Peterson said. “And so we wanna show them how to get it the constructively, the right way, and show them how to save that money. We’re gonna help them get bank accounts that they might be able to show the benefit of their work.”
Neighborhoods United raised nearly $6,000 to pay for new lawn care equipment. The organization’s Chairman, Brian Garry, said this isn’t the sole answer to the gun violence problem in Cincinnati, but it is an important step to preserving and protecting the youth.
“If we want to end gun violence, if we’re serious about ending gun violence, we have to be serious about ending poverty,” Garry said. “In our city, 50% of our kids live in poverty, and this is one way to help them have a pathway and an opportunity out of poverty.”
Rites of Passage mentor John Everson said it’s a path he knows all too well.
“I lost a son in 2011 and if I can help save a kid I will,” Everson. “Keep em’ busy cutting grass, whatever I need to do.”
On day one, mentors went over the basics of the new equipment and safety, but soon these young men and women will be able to use the equipment to their benefit.
“I wanna help out across the streets,” Caleb said. “I wanna help other people get a better future. I just wanna help in every way I can.”
Neighborhoods United is still collecting money to purchase other lawn care equipment like weed eaters and edgers. To contribute to their campaign visit their Facebook fundraiser.
