{"id":316713,"date":"2026-10-29T07:12:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T07:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/316713\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T07:12:44","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T07:12:44","slug":"violence-interrupted-allentown-mans-mentorship-offers-chance-to-pick-up-phone-not-guns-lehigh-valley-regional-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/316713\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Violence, interrupted\u2019: Allentown man\u2019s mentorship offers chance to pick up phone, not guns | Lehigh Valley Regional News"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALLENTOWN, Pa. \u2013 CeaseFirePA Education Fund<\/a> is sharing stories of people who stop shootings before they happen, through its \u201cViolence, Interrupted\u201d storytelling campaign. One of those stories come from Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley.<\/p>\n

Michael Richardson, a violence interrupter and ambassador for Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley<\/a>, works every day to stop gun violence by helping individuals in their own backyards.\u2002\u2002\u2002<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had been working with Bobby probably for like, man, probably for like five or six years now,\u201d Richardson said of a man he had met through his efforts.<\/p>\n

Richardson said Bobby faced some struggles and got involved in a heated conflict where he wanted to turn to gun violence. Before he did, though, Bobby picked up the phone to call Richardson.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI could tell from the call that he was ready to act, give in to the peer pressure that was around him,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cAnd so I just listened. When he was finished, you know, I just asked him, I\u2019m like, \u2018You got a daughter, my man.\u2019 I said, \u2018I got a daughter. I know what it feels like.\u2019 So I was like, \u2018You got a brand new daughter.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you know, me and Bobby kicked it for a little,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cHe said, \u2018You know, thank you for being there to have someone to talk to.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Through mentorship, Richardson was able to prevent what could have turned deadly.<\/p>\n

Now, his efforts are being highlighted through CeaseFirePA Education Fund\u2019s \u201cViolence, Interrupted\u201d campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“For the last five years, amazing community outreach workers have stopped and worked with high-risk individuals to deescalate, redirect, and prevent conflict before someone dies,” said Adam Garber, CEO, CeaseFirePA.<\/p>\n

Garber said gun homicides have dropped 53% statewide in the last five years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because of the work of groups like Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u00a0According to CeaseFirePA, since 2021, the state has invested nearly $400 million in violence prevention initiatives to connect communities with resources to make them safer.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of that work is community violence intervention, and all of that work over the past few years has saved thousands of lives, Garber said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\nCopyright 2026 Maranatha Broadcasting Co., Inc.. All Rights Reserved.\n<\/p>\n

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