Gun violence killed 11 teens in Cincinnati last year. After the incidence Sheila Rosenthal and others have created a safe place in Price Hill for young people as an alternative to being on streets. Rosenthal says that their team is doing this to save lives of young people in their locality. Out of the 11, 2 of the shootings that killed teens happened in Price Hill. Out of all the 300 shootings that took place in Cincinnati in 2019, 30% victims were teens.
The group knows that this is a crisis that isn’t going away on its own anytime soon. Something concrete needs to be done to keep it in check. A teenage rehab, safe house is their way of showing the teens a place to be, rather than be on streets or even sell drugs. Rosenthal is a community activist in Price Hill and Pullins, the founder of ‘Men Involved’.
They got together and made sure nonprofit organization like Mentoring Young Men and community volunteers start the safe house. A building on Warsaw Avenue was donated by Price Hill will for the safe house.
The local teens learn new skills here and are considered part of a community. They are mentored by the activists and learn different trades to earn respectable money in future. They no more stand in the corners or around the streets wasting their time or harming the community in anyway.
The safe house teaches them to stay away from things they shouldn’t be around. The safe house will be completely open from March and then the volunteers can supervise, offer services, and create a safe structure for teens and families.