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Reclaiming Sites of Violence: Bringing Hope and Healing to Neighborhoods The Reverend Ruben Ortiz, Director of National Programs for Esperanza ( https://www.esperanza.us/ ) represents Hispanic Clergy on the Religious Leaders Council of Greater Philadelphia. Recently he shared Moment of Blessing with his colleagues on the Council. For more than 20 years, Moment of Blessing has been used to offer solace and hope for families and neighbors living near the location of homicides. Religious leaders bring together those affected at the location desecrated by violence. They lead the community in prayer, adding readings as well as words of comfort and hope. The location is blessed; Divine comfort and love overpowering the fear and grief connected to that place. Moment of Blessing may be used as is or adapted so it is appropriate for the religious traditions and emotional needs of those who gather.   Moment of Blessing - Occasion of Homicide  GREETING  Grace and Peace to all of us...

In 2021, Philadelphia saw a record number of homicides , a majority from gun violence. This blog series invites previously recognized Zones of Peace , an initiative of the Religious Leaders Council (RLC) of Greater Philadelphia, to share about their efforts to respond to and reduce gun violence. This series will highlight a range of effective and complementary approaches taken by Zones of Peace to address the crisis facing our city and our nation. The Zone of Peace highlighted here is The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations .This post was written b y Randy Duque, MA, KOR, Deputy Director, Community Relations Division.  One City Agency’s Effort to Help Address the Gun Violence Crisis Like many, I wake up each morning to learn of another shooting in the “City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love.” Throughout the day, I hold on to the emotions I have as I respond to such heartbreaking news. I can’t help thinking about the traumatic impact these acts have on those directly involved an...

In 2021, Philadelphia saw a record number of homicides , a majority from gun violence. This blog series invites previously recognized Zones of Peace , an initiative of the Religious Leaders Council (RLC) of Greater Philadelphia, to share about their efforts to respond to and reduce gun violence. This series will highlight a range of effective and complementary approaches taken by Zones of Peace to address the crisis facing our city and our nation. The Zone of Peace highlighted here is Heeding God's Call to End Gun Violence . Co-founder and Executive Director Bryan Miller contributed the following blog post. Saving Lives from Gun Violence – How to Get There I’m Bryan Miller, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence , the grassroots and interfaith organization devoted to ending gun violence and early Zones of Peace awardee. I’ve acted in this cause on both secular and faith-based ‘sides’ since 1995, after my brother was one of three law enforcement ...

In 2021, Philadelphia saw a record number of homicides , a majority from gun violence. This blog series invites previously recognized Zones of Peace , an initiative of the Religious Leaders Council (RLC) of Greater Philadelphia, to share about their efforts to respond to and reduce gun violence. This series will highlight a range of effective and complementary approaches taken by Zones of Peace to address the crisis facing our city and our nation.  The Zone of Peace  highlighted here is Victim / Witness Services of South Philadelphia (VWSSP).   VWSSP Executive Director Alison Sprague, intern James Scarborough, and Victim Advocate Lisa Klinman all contributed to this blog post. Responding to gun violence is a crucial part of the work w e do every day at Victim/ Witness Services of South Philadelphia (VWSSP). We are deeply supportive of increased programming to reduce gun violence. And we must invest deeply in the systemic changes that will drive down gun violence. In the ...

It all started the day I realized I would need to leave my office. I was serving as the Nurture Coordinator and Curriculum Developer for Jubilee! Community Church in Asheville, NC, and I was tasked with developing an interfaith curriculum for our Sunday School program. I was raised very Christian, attending a Lutheran Grade School (K-8) and a Catholic High school, so I had some form of religious education six days a week from age 5-15. I was pretty sure I knew how to teach kids about the Bible. But, on this particular day, as I sat looking out my office window, I realized I was stuck. I had been immersed, for months, in the sacred texts -- the Tao Te Ching, the Bhagavad Gita, the Qur’an, the Rig Veda and Puranas, the Buddhist Dhammapada, and the hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib. Based on what I was reading, I simply could not figure out how the grown-ups from other faith traditions taught the kids in their communities! That’s when I decided it was time to stop reading and start doing....

By Matt Hilferty Interfaith Philadelphia  launched the  Crafting Community Project  in Kensington in the Fall of 2020. Through this neighborhood-rooted art and education initiative, we collaborated with organizations, faith communities, and neighbors to launch the  Kensington Grows, Cooks, and Serves , a multi-part series exploring the intersections of food, faith, and culture within the Kensington area. One component of this initiative is a  blog  interview series highlighting Kensington-based restaurants and grocers who demonstrate understanding, community-centeredness, and the celebration of diversity. For this final installment in the series, we sat down with  Sunny Phanthavong from Vientiane Bistro. 1. Tell us a little about your business. (e.g. Where are you located? When did you open? What do you serve/sell?) Vientiane Bistro is a Lao and Thai restaurant that opened in September 2018 at 2537 Kensington Avenue. We serve curries, noodle dishe...

Interfaith Philadelphia launched the Crafting Community Project in Kensington in Fall 2020. Through this neighborhood-rooted art and education initiative, we collaborated with organizations, faith communities, and neighbors to launch the Kensington Grows, Cooks, and Serves series to explore the intersections of food, faith, and culture. One component of this initiative is a blog interview series highlighting Kensington-based restaurants and grocers who demonstrate understanding, community-centeredness, and the celebration of diversity.  This week we sat down with Anas Dabbour at Al-Amana Grocery Store at Al-Aqsa Islamic Society , to learn more about the store, hear about what community means to them, and the importance of food within the Islamic faith. What inspired you to get involved with Al-Amana Store? My Uncle opened the store 20 years ago when they opened Al-Aqsa Masjid and its community center. My siblings and I actually went to school here at Al-Aqsa Academy. My Dad had...