Gun Violence Awareness
Remembering lives lost. Supporting families impacted. Building safer communities through awareness, prevention, healing, and action.
Upcoming Event: Community Cookout & Candlelight Vigil
Join us for a free community gathering with food, music, games, resources, gun safety information, a memory wall display, and a candlelight vigil honoring lives lost to gun violence.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, June 6
Time: 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Location: 900 Dixie St, Lexington, NC 27292 (Open field across from Files Chapel Baptist Church)
Cost: Free and open to the community
Take the community pledge to pay attention, speak up with wisdom, and take responsible action when someone may be struggling or headed down a dangerous path.
Honor a loved one impacted by gun violence by submitting their name, photo, and/or message to our Virtual Memory Wall.
Watch our special conversation on firearm safety, personal accountability, safe storage, and what it means to care enough to act.
For current gun violence data and statistics, visit our dedicated statistics resource page.
Turning pain into purpose.
JLD Community Solutions was founded in honor of Johnny Leroy “Lee-Lee” Dawkins Jr., whose life was taken by gun violence in 2008 at the age of 25.
What began as a scholarship fund created to turn pain into purpose has grown into a broader commitment to remembrance, prevention, healing, and community action.
Each year during Gun Violence Awareness Month, we create space for our community to remember lives lost, support those impacted, promote responsible action, and work together toward safer futures.
This work is not about politics. It is about people.
Why Gun Violence Awareness Matters
Gun violence affects more than the person whose life is taken. It impacts families, friends, classmates, neighborhoods, and entire communities.
For JLD Community Solutions, this work is deeply personal. We know the grief, questions, and lasting impact that follow when a life is taken too soon. We also believe awareness must lead to action.
That action may look like investing in young people, promoting safe firearm storage, supporting those experiencing mental health crises, creating healing spaces, or simply having the courage to speak up when someone we love may be in danger.
Past Gun Violence Awareness Events
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
~Barak Obama
2024 Event Recap
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2023 Even
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Resources & Support
Resources for Safety, Healing, and Support
Immediate Emergency
Call 911
Use this if someone is in immediate danger or there is an active threat.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for 24/7 mental health crisis support. The Lifeline supports people in suicidal crisis, emotional distress, or anyone worried about someone else.
Veterans and Military Families
Veterans Crisis Line
Call 988, then press 1, or text 838255 for confidential support for veterans, service members, and their families.
Mental Health and Substance Use
SAMHSA National Helpline
Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for treatment referral and information for mental health and substance use concerns.
Mental health education, family support, advocacy, and local affiliate connections.
Youth and Text-Based Crisis Support
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
Safe Firearm Storage
North Carolina’s safe firearm storage initiative focused on education, prevention, and responsible storage practices.
End Family Fire, a Brady & Ad Council campaign, offers information about safe gun storage and preventing shooting deaths. Explore resources and learn more!
Local Law Enforcement / Lexington Police Department
For local safety guidance, community policing resources, or questions about safe storage resources.
Victim and Survivor Support
NC Victim Assistance Network (NCVAN)
Support, advocacy, and resources for victims and survivors of crime and trauma.
National Center for Victims of Crime / VictimConnect Resource Center
National victim support and referral resources for people impacted by crime.
For VictimConnect, call or text 855-484-2846.
Other Local Resources
Davidson County Health Department
The mission of the Davidson County Health Department is to asses, protect, and promote the quality of life for all people within Davidson County.
The JLD Community Support Circle provides a safe virtual space for healing, connection, and collective strength for individuals and families who have lost loved ones to or been impacted by gun violence.
I TAKE THE PLEDGE
See Something. Say Something. Do Something.
A community pledge for awareness, responsibility, and action.
Add your name to the pledge. Every commitment is a visible reminder that our community is choosing to pay attention, speak up, and take responsible action when it matters most.