1 month ago
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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — WISH-TV’s YATVAC campaign — which stands for Youth Alternatives to Violence and Crime — is dedicated to highlighting people and groups working to curb youth violence in our city.
One group, Indy Peace, is a lifeline, with volunteers going into Indiana University Methodist Hospital to work directly with gun violence victims to help them recover, both mentally and physically, with a support system that’s already in place.
Mary Alexander is the vice president of community violence intervention with the Indy Public Safety Foundation, which operates Indy Peace. She says, depending on how you define a youth, the organization helps people from 16 to 34 years old who have been identified as high risk for gun violence.
“So anyone who comes into the emergency room who has a gunshot wound, the nurses will talk to them about our program, ask them if they want to be referred to it, and get permission to contact us,” Alexander said. “We will go immediately into the emergency room with our violence interrupters.”
Volunteers are often in orange shirts that say “#ICHOOSEPEACE.” With patient permission, they provide hands-on interven...
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