A series of summer community barbecues are, once again, being held across the borough to the delight of hundreds of community residents, and the only beef is on the grill!

 

Cure violence group, Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.), under the umbrella of the nonprofit, Good Shepherd Services, have been hosting the annual barbecue series for nearly a decade in neighborhoods like Fordham Manor, Kingsbridge and Olinville.

 

As previously reported, the group comprises seasoned “violence interrupters,” who work with local communities, including the youth, to show them a different path to gun violence. Some of their methods include boxing training, as previously reported.

B.R.A.G.’s third event of the summer, the “North West’s Peace BBQ” was held on Saturday, July 8, along East 193rd Street between Jerome Avenue and Morris Avenue, adjacent to St. James Park in Fordham Manor. As reported, just three days later, four people, including two children under the age of 7, were shockingly gunned down in broad daylight at the very spot where the barbecue was held. Two youths have since been arrested following the incident.

 

At an earlier Olinville barbecue held Saturday, June 10, along East 216th Street between White Plains Road and Barnes Avenue, Yadira Moncion, director of B.R.A.G. North, told Norwood News, “This is our annual peace barbecue. We want to make sure we bring awareness to peaceful gatherings and non-violence throughout the summer.”

Moncion said B.R.A.G. has been hosting the peace barbecues in Kingsbridge since 2014 and in Olinville since 2016. Asked about possible precautions taken to help keep the event safe, Moncion replied, “This is not about policing. It’s about our community. Cure violence is about credible messengers. We maintain our community’s safety, so this is about coming together as a community and making sure we denounce violence, and what we do is done in a peaceful way.”

 

Moncion said the bouncy house, games, face-painters, DJ, and food served on the day were funded by the Good Shepherd Services’ cure violence program. Looking out over the crowded street, Moncion concluded, “The crowd is amazing! This is an awesome turnout; I love this community!” She added, “We hope the community keeps coming out to our events, and coming together and sharing and getting to know each other.”

During the same event, Bronxwood Avenue resident, Britney, was enjoying the festivities with her son, Connor, aged 5. “This was a fun event,” Britney said. “We both enjoyed ourselves with the free food and free entertainment and free prizes.” She added, “It was definitely a lot of fun! This was my first time; I will come back.”

 

Another peace barbecue was held on Saturday, July 22, and the remaining barbecues will be held on Saturday, Aug. 12, along Morris Avenue between East 183rd Street and East 184th Street, and on Saturday, Aug. 26, on Morris Avenue between East Burnside Avenue and East 181st Street.

 

According to their website, B.R.A.G. currently operates in three locations. B.R.A.G. North covers Wakefield, B.R.A.G. Northwest serves Fordham and Belmont, while B.R.A.G. West covers University Heights and Morris Heights.

The group also works with teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 25, mentoring and assisting in their development of conflict resolution skills. According to their website, between July 2017 and June 2021, B.R.A.G. responded to 1,035 disputes, organized 10,973 “interruption activities,” and worked through 2,353 “completed mediations.”

 

Meanwhile, Good Shepherd Services officials say the nonprofit operates 80 different programs that assist nearly 30,000 people across New York City. For more information on B.R.A.G., visit their website at https://goodshepherds.org/program/brag.