Peacemakers and the Hope Center join forces to help community

ROANOKE, Va.- – Two grass-roots organizations are coming together for the first time to help stop violence in northwest Roanoke.

The Roanoke Peacemakers and the Hope Center will be hosting a Peace and Hope community meeting on Jan. 22.

The two groups are asking people to come out to find solutions to end violence and murder in the area.

Shawn Hunter with the Peacemakers said the answers are right in their own community. 

"We are trying to break the ice and show people that we can put our differences to the side. We can reconcile. And the reason for reconciling is to show that we are working for the betterment of our community. It's not an individual thing. It's not the Shawn thing. It's not a Grover thing. It's not the Hope Center thing. It's not a Peacemaker thing. It's a community thing. If you are a leader, you have to go out show that you are serving the people," said Hunter. 

Grover Price with The Hope Center sent us this statement:

"I want to encourage people to come out and discuss what direction they would like to see our city go in over the next 5 years. Talk about what has worked and figure out ways to fix what's broken. I want my City Council run to be driven by what the people in the community wants. This is the first of many discussions."

The Hope Center will host NFL player Tarell Basham Thursday at 5 p.m. signing autographs and speaking with kids and also endorsing my run for Council. There will also be having a petition signing.