We meet with Curtis and Jason from Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny). is an anti-gun violence organization co-founded in 2016 by Arne Duncan, a former U.S. Secretary of Education and CEO of Chicago Public Schools, and Laurene Powell Jobs, the founder and president of Emerson Collective, a Palo Alto-based social impact organization.” Chicago CRED believes in investing in the community, more specifically investing in the people within the community to reduce the homicide rates. Their goal is to reduce gun violence by 20% annually for the next 5 years.

To learn more about Chicago CRED, visit chicacocred.org.

DeAndra is a volunteer with the Indiana chapter of Moms Demand Action and a Senior Fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network. On February 1, 2014, DeAndra's 13-year-old son, DeAndre (Dre), was struck by a stray bullet at a birthday party. Dre survived, but was critically wounded and can no longer walk or talk. Since Dre was shot, DeAndra has become a dedicated activist with a focus on raising awareness for wounded/disabled victims of gun violence and the struggles they face. DeAndra now oversees a new advocacy and support program for non-fatal shooting survivors for the City of Indianapolis. Funded by the American Rescue Plan, the program is operated in partnership between DeAndra, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, IUPUI's O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and the Indianapolis Office of Public Health and Safety. DeAndra is also the Founder and Executive Director of Purpose 4 My Pain, a resource hub providing support for women and families personally affected by gun violence.

For resources for non-fatal shooting victims in Indianapolis, visit indynfsresources.com. To learn more about Deandra’s organization, Purpose4MyPain, you can visit purpose4mypain.org

Dr. Kelsey Gastineau, M.D. (she/her) is a Moms Demand Action volunteer and board-certified pediatrician based in Nashville, TN. A public health researcher, Dr. Gastineau is also a physician advocate specializing in pediatric injury prevention. One of her focuses is on safe firearm storage as a Be SMART program advocate, a framework designed to help parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions to prevent child gun deaths and injuries. Her research experience and interests include implementation of evidence-based, community-focused interventions and secondary data base analysis to reduce firearm injuries in youth. Her recent publications on this topic include utilizing the Be SMART program -- along with quality improvement methodologies -- to improve firearm safety discussions in a resident-based clinic in South Carolina, evaluating the increase in pediatric firearm-related hospital encounters during the COVID-19 pandemic, and demonstrating the increasing burden of pediatric mortality and widening racial inequities due to firearm violence. She is a member of the Tennessee American Academy of Pediatrics.

Julvonnia McDowell (she/her) is a volunteer with the Georgia chapter of Moms Demand Action. Julvonnia's 14-year-old son, JaJuan, was unintentionally shot and killed by another teen playing with an unsecured gun on April 7, 2016 while visiting family in Savannah, GA for spring break. Julvonnia joined Moms Demand Action shortly after JaJuan’s death. As a leader in the survivor community, she is a dedicated mentor and support system for survivors and encourages a robust foundation of strength. One of her focuses is on safe gun storage as a Be SMART program advocate, a framework designed to help parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions to prevent child gun deaths and injuries.

To learn more about the BeSmart framework and ways to promote responsible gun ownership in your community, you can visit besmartforkids.org.