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A gun buyback in Grays Ferry yielded 21 guns in just two hours Saturday.
“We were all extremely excited for the 21 because, well for one thing, we were able to see the fruit of some of our labor, and then as well, we know those 21 guns [being off the street] are going to lead to a safer community,” Rev. Bethany McCabe, an associate minister at The Church of the Redeemer, 1440 S. 24th St., said.
Since January, the Point Breeze church has been organizing the gun buyback along with a stop the violence rally, which was held outside the church Saturday and included music, motivational speakers, prayer, food and a school-supply giveaway.
“We’ve been trying to make it our mission to do more in the community and get out in the community, so we had, over the year, been coming up with different ministry activities in order to do more in the community,” McCabe said.
After raising $4,600 to offer as an incentive for trading in firearms, the church used the money to obtain gift cards from The Fresh Grocer, but the supermarket threw in an extra $1,500 in gift cards. In exchange for each of the 21 firearms dropped off at Donald Finnegan Playground, 1231 S. 30th St., between 10 a.m. and noon, residents received a $100 gift card with no questions asked.
“The guns that were actually collected are ones that you could pick up, put bullet in and go shoot,” Jordan Harris, Philadelphia Youth Commission’s executive director, said of the firearms that consisted of mostly handguns.
In its efforts to increase its role in the community, Redeemer plans to have another buyback although no date has been set yet, McCabe said.
“We worked together and we were able to get 21 guns, and we’re hoping to be able to do another because we have more gift cards left,” she said.
Contact Managing Editor Amanda L. Snyder at asnyder@southphillyreview.com or ext. 117.
Also in this week’s Police Report:
Fatal shooting
Elevator wares stolen
Bickering theives
Road rage
Gadgets grabbed
Curfew extended
Twarting fire
Police meetings 09-15-11
Fast-food snatching
Robbed after midnight
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