For 20 years, the Families Expecting Deliverance Using Prayer - better known as FEDUP - have been supporting grieving families and providing critical resources in their goal of creating safer communities free from gun violence.
“We want to help someone else help other family members that’s been impacted by gun violence, so we started an organization called FEDUP, which stands for Families Expecting Deliverance Using Prayer,” FEDUP Founder and Board President Rita Joyce said."
This Friday, FEDUP celebrated its 20th year anniversary with a gala that will feature a number of keynote speakers, including Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin.
Orange was a prominent color, representing National Gun Violence Day, while signs from Roanoke City Public School students displayed messages of peace.
“They need to be a part of the solution and this is their solution. As you look around, you’ll see, understanding that hurt people hurt people, end gun violence, spread love,” FEDUP co-founder Renea Taylor said. “You’ll see a lot of them have flowers and hearts and different things operate in love, not hate.”
Fulton spoke for almost 30 minutes and emphasized that what happened to her son and what is happening across the country was more than just a story.
“This is not a story, this is not a story,” Fulton said. “What a lot of the parents are going through are not stories. They are tragedies.”
Fulton has been advocating for change ever since her son’s death in 2012, but also advocated for people in attendance to change their mindsets.
“We can change all the laws that we want to, but until we start to change hearts and mindsets, it’s not going to matter,” Fulton said.
While FEDUP’s gala will celebrate its anniversary, it will also act as a fundraiser. The group hopes to receive money to continue to provide grief counseling and advocacy services for families.