“Loving your enemies” was the theme of Diana’s comments. I was overjoyed when Diana Bravo and Laurie Cardenas initiated a peace walk in response to the murders our neighborhood at the end of February. Both girls were elementary age when I recruited them in about 1996 to be tutored by Lake Ave Church members volunteering in the STARS Program, and both girls are now on the STARS’s staff. They have embraced a Gospel that helps us see that forgiveness is part of the healing needed in our community. Laurie’s story of is told in this article.
When I began the STARS program back then, I asked many questions about why there was more violence in NW Pasadena. One of causes of violence in our community is the long held segregated housing patterns as a result of federal housing policies, which I write about in my book, Making Housing Happen. This is why I advocate for mixed income communities. Do you have stories from your communities of how the church is working to end violence? Jill Shook
Tag Archives: federal housing policy
Making Housing and Community Happen 