MANSFIELD, Ohio–The Mend Mansfield Coalition met Tuesday, and in addition to sharing information, the group discussed the next rally. The rally is intended to bring the community together to further the goal to end violence in the city and surrounding area.
The “Each One, Reach One” Rally on August 15 at 1 p.m. will be the next coalition-sponsored community event. Assembly will begin at the back lot of the Renaissance Theatre at 12 p.m.
“The Each One, Reach One Rally is geared toward the focus of our children and our youth. The fact of the matter is there’s a large drug epidemic in our county that our children are participating in and there’s a lot of crime that stimulates from drug activities, said Rev. Derek Williams. “So the Each One, Reach One Rally takes each individual having love and concern and commitment to their communities to reach out and show a hand of caring and compassion to really make an impact.”
Williams encouraged everyone in the community to attend the march, which will begin at the Renaissance Theatre and march to the Mansfield square in symbolic unity against the impact drugs have in the community.
The speakers at the square, Williams said, will not be officials but speakers from the community.
“We want our citizens to be the speakers,” said Williams, “We want to hear their part about how drugs impact their lives and what gives them the strength every day when they have to struggle with the fact that their child may be fourteen years old, addicted to drugs, or their child is stealing to support a drug habit. We want to hear the hearts of the citizens.”
The coalition has a Facebook page.
The Mend Mansfield Coalition was formed in response to events that occurred March 29 and 30, incidents that sent four individuals to the hospital for gunshot wounds. The coalition is bringing people together. It’s not about implementing laws or costly programs, the purpose is to share information, resources and actions.
“We can take guns off the streets, but the fact is that we have to be able to provide job sources for those individuals who don’t have jobs, economic opportunities, education opportunities; our school system ought to be the best school system in Ohio. We just have to change the mentality and mindset of not doing to become the doers of our community’s best interest,” said Rev. Derek Williams.
