Residents, police officers, church and community leaders and the children who live in the south end of East St. Louis are counting on a huge turnout for a community event called Resources & Strategies for a Stronger & Safer South End. It will be held Thursday from 5:00 p.
m.-8:00 p.m.
at Mt. Paran Missionary Baptist Church at 1601 Russell Ave. Organizers say it is a “solution-based event aimed at collectively promoting a stronger and safer south end,” and it takes the entire community working together.
“We have found there are numerous different entities and resources within the East St. Louis community that are geared toward helping citizens of all ages in the community with whatever they need help with,” said Illinois State Police Lt. Elbert Jennings.
The people who can provide the resources will be on hand at Mt. Paran Church, which was chosen because of its central location in the community, Jennings said. “When they come to the church they will see the resources there,” Jennings said.
“Whether the families have education or healthcare needs, or need help filling out an application or assistance with getting an ID card, someone will be there to provide the necessary help.” Police will be among the participants, but they will be working in a different capacity to show the people the officers are just like them and want to work with citizens to keep their neighborhoods as safe as possible, Jennings said. “The police will not be conducting any law enforcement business such as asking for proof of identification, arresting people, or doing any questioning of individuals.
“It’s important for the police to be involved in these settings because we want the community to know that we are not just there (in their community) to respond to a crime,” he said. Jenkins said the police partnering with community organizations that are going to be present “is definitely a way where we as the police can build positive relationships within the community and help us to make the area as safe and as stable as it can be. It takes a partnership to eradicate and prevent crime.
” Zachary Lee, pastor of Mt. Paran, said he and others want to turn around problems in the south end of the city. To accomplish this, Lee and his church members are trying to be involved with the community to address the issues that will make the south end safer and stronger.
For the church, helping the community is an ongoing effort. For example, every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m.
to 1 p.m., they feed the hungry, said Lee, who is national vice president of “Grill to Glory,” a campaign involving churches in East St.
Louis, St.Louis, Kansas City and around the nation that set up barbecue grills on the church campuses. “We provide hot dogs and free food from 11:00-1:00 p.
m., and it has spun a relationship between the community and the church,” he said. Lee said all hands on deck are needed to make the south end a beautiful, safe and stable place for the residents, families, and their children.
“We’re trying to get the community people to come out and tell us what they want,” Lee said. “ We’re hearing they want a community center, something for the kids to do, summer jobs, to name a few. We also want to get the youth involved in more positive activities.
” One of the positive activities, he said, is called Sunday Morning Jesus Camp. Sixty-eight children come every Sunday. “They eat breakfast free.
We give them food to take home. We give them little small rewards as an incentive to do good,” the pastor said. “ They’re mannerable.
“It’s just amazing the impact we’re having with these children by getting them involved in the church. My preaching is wholesomeness..
.. Yes Ma’am.
No Ma’am. Respect your mother and your father. “ The event Thursday will include a big dinner, and the church and other organizations will provide children with school supplies and uniforms.
“We are working with other social outlets to provide some assistance and we’re taking donations as well,” Lee said. Byron Jenkins, a trustee at Mt. Paran, said the goal is to build rapport with the young people and their parents.
“That will lead to a safer, stronger community for everybody. We want to give them some positive things to do. We have to give them an alternative to the streets,” Jenkins said.
Tandra Johnson, a church member, said, “We want to build a rapport with the community. We want to get more people to come to the church so we can build a relationship with the community. “Our goal is to bring the community together so we can communicate better.
” Johnson said some of the young people attending will be able talk to other young people.”To build a better community, we have to have relationships,” Johnson said. “The church wants to be a resource for the community.
We want the people to have some place to go.” For example, she said, there are some mental health issues in the community that people should talk about. “ If there is no one to talk about these things, I think that is what causes a lot of issues,” she said.
“ After seeing what happened to Sonya Massey, that mental health is truly getting stronger.” Massey was shot to death by Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson on July 6. Deputies were visiting her home after she called authorities to report a prowler.
The deputy who shot her, who is white, is now charged with , aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in the death of Massey, who was Black. Jenkins, a church trustee, said the mission of the church has been, and still is, to “make our community better and to stop all of the violence. We want to bring our community back the way it used to be.
” That means making a connection with the kids in the community to give them an opportunity to “look forward to something in life.” “ We’ve got babies raising babies. They need help.
They do not have any guidance,” he said. “ We’re hoping to get them reconnected with the church and get them going in a positive direction. “We need some educators, tradesmen and other people with different skill sets to come out and mentor and provide some help to the people.
” Sharon Johnson, a church member, said she’s excited about bringing the community together at Thursday’s event. “ The people who come will meet some neighbors they do not already know,” she said. “Sometimes people go in their doors and close them behind them.
When we talk to each other, we keep our community safe.” She said a lack of communication is part of the reason there is so much gun violence. And when young people don’t have anything to do, they can get involved with the wrong people, she said.
Johnson said Mt Paran Church believes in the children. “We feed them as much as they want. They’re learning about the Lord.
We play games with them. We let them know we care about them,” she said. Johnson said she was brought up in the church.
“We want to encourage our young people to get in church where they will meet other young people they can relate to...
who will listen to them and share what kept them from getting into trouble.” Naomi Outlaw,7, goes to the Sunday morning Jesus Camp at Mt. Paran.
She said she likes the church. “They feed us. They teach us and they take us on field trips.
It’s fun,” Naomi told a BND reporter. “I like the pastor too. He teaches us lots of things.
” She said more children should come because they will have a good time. She shouted over the phone, very loudly, “ The church is great!” Carmen Segar, 8, likes the fun and learning at the Jesus Camp. “They teach us.
We read books. We go on field trips. It’s like a loving family.
They care about us,” Carmen said. She said she wants to be successful in life. And, she wants the people in the community where she lives to love each other.
Jarrel Outlaw, 9, said at the Jesus Camp, “We learn about God. They feed us. We go on fun field trips.
” He wants to see more young people come out to the church. Johnson said she is looking for a tremendous turnout at Thursday’s community event. “I know we will turn out in big numbers,” she said.
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