Coming Soon
Guns to Gardens Safe Surrender Event
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Isaiah 2:4
Guns to Gardens Safe Surrender Event
Sat. May 20, 10 am – 1 pm
Place unwanted, unloaded guns in a vehicle trunk.
Gun donors are anonymous.
No ammunition is accepted.
Thank you gift cards will be provided until they run out.
The project is part of the “Guns to Gardens” movement, which works to reduce gun violence by reducing the number of guns in homes and communities. Unwanted guns are dismantled and the leftover parts are forged into garden tools. Guns to Gardens Safe Surrender events will be offered across the nation marking Wear Orange Day, June 2, Hadiya Pendleton’s birthday. She was a high school student from the south side of Chicago, who marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later, Hadiya was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Soon after this tragedy, Hadiya’s childhood friends decided to commemorate her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others.
With over 400 million guns in American homes, many of these guns are no longer wanted for a range of reasons: the gun owner may have children or grandchildren in the home; a hunter or other gun owner may have reached an age where they no longer feel that they can safely handle weapons; a gun may have been returned to the family by the police after it was used in a suicide or accident; there may be conflict in a family or there may a family member with a serious illness. For whatever reason, Guns to Gardens provides a way to dispose of unwanted guns without returning them to the gun marketplace, where they could be used for future harm.
Over 43,000 Americans die every year from gun violence. Approximately 60% of gun deaths are from suicide, followed by homicide, family violence and accidents. A difficult moment can turn into a tragedy simply because a gun is nearby.
Please support this event by spreading the word to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Flyers advertising the event are available. See Cynthia Lehman or Derry Stauffer for flyers and/or more information.
You may also reach out to Cynthia Lehman to volunteer or if you have questions.
RSS
