CINCINNATI — As the issues of violent crime and youth gun violence continue across the Tri-State, so does the search for solutions. Local nonprofit Save our Youth Kings & Queens is working to solve the issue by showing kids down a path of love instead of violence.
“Everybody needs to have a safe place, so that’s what we try to do," founder Mitch Morris said. "Be a safe house for the kids where they can come somewhere to really enjoy themselves and feel free to be kids."
Save Our Youth Kings & Queens is located in Winton Hills, a neighborhood that has seen an increase in violent crime this year.
"Aggravated assaults, that would be shootings and violent crime ... stabbings, we are at 33 this year as opposed to 17 last year so we’re at a 94% increase,” said CPD officer Shawn Dent as he shared neighborhood crime stats at a Winton Hills neighborhood meeting on Nov. 20.
Dent also shared that homicides are also up by 40% as of November.
In the last three months, two children have been shot in Winton Hills including 5-year-old Artagist Stanford III, who did not survive.
That’s why Morris and his team do what they do, to protect children and show them another path.
"(We're) losing so much youth throughout the city, across the nation, to senseless gun violence," Morris said. "We just wanna let these kids see that there’s more to living than what you see every day in the neighborhood."
They show them that other path through love, what Morris says is the solution to curbing youth violence.
"You know love is the biggest thing, you have to know how to take care of each other," he said.
Save Our Youth’s love is shown through their after-school program and their community outreach program which shows the community there are options and resources.
"There’s hope for all of us, that's why we come out here consistently to show them that we are here. We’re here, and we wanna talk, we have mental health," said Chuey Huff, who is with the outreach team for Save our Youths Kings & Queens. "We about all of that. It’s great, the outreach is the main part."
Morris said it’s through the community that gun violence can be solved, and he has hope for Cincinnati’s future.
"I feel real good about what’s happening in our city right now. With so many different reduction programs, so many different people coming together trying to find out a solution so that we can turn this thing around," Morris said.
Save our Youth Kings & Queens doesn’t only help children. Their doors are open to anyone in need no matter their age or what neighborhood they live in.
If you need help or want to help serve with Save our Youth Kings & Queens, you can visit their website.
