BALTIMORE — With all the violence going on in Baltimore, some people would lose hope for a better future, but not the organization We Our Us.
With One Step At a Time, the anti-violence men's movement is meeting people where they are to build a better Baltimore.
Men from all walks of life laced up their shoes to walk through Baltimore to bring resources and job information directly to those in need.
The goal is to save the men of the city and help people get on a better track. Organizers say, nowadays, young men and grown men are getting wrapped into the street life leaving many families without husbands and fathers furthering the generational cycle of abandonment.
"We just walk through some of these areas that we're dealing with, the violence and the shootings, and try to reach some of these young men and older men in regard to resources jobs. And then if they have a drug problem, or they may need some help with housing, we can connect them, that's our plan. That’s our goal," said Andrew Muhammad, Executive Director for We Our Us movement.
The nonprofit also offers resources for families in need.
"When the fathers are out of the home, we as a men's group, we make sure we cover all aspects of the area that we can to make sure the families are taken care of," said Kenneth Parker, Food Director for We Our Us Movement.
Eric Brown is a testament of this group. He spent over twenty years in prison. He says this movement has changed his life for the better and showed him it's never too late to right your wrongs.
"When I walked out, I had a home, I walked right into the walk and these brothers treated me like family and helped me to establish a foundation," said Brown, participant in We Our Us movement and Stop the Beef Program.
Young men are a big part of this movement, many believe change starts with them.
"Sometimes youth get caught up in only what they see. And when they see 50-100 men walking strong down the street, they realize that there’s a different way. If you think about it in terms of the mentality of young people, oftentimes that's how gangs get there because they present themselves in numbers, they present themselves strong, but we present ourselves in numbers and stronger," said Kevia Elliott, Vice President We Our Us Movement.
To get involved visit https://weourusmovement.org/
