WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Community advocates and youth leaders gathered Saturday in Winston-Salem to call for stronger investment in children’s services and violence prevention, saying the city is failing to adequately support young people facing trauma.
The gathering came five days after a deadly mass shooting at Leinbach Park that left two teens dead and five others injured, intensifying calls for stronger youth services and violence prevention.
The event, part of the “How Are the Children” campaign, brought together several hundred residents and multiple organizations focused on mentoring, mental health care and anti-violence efforts. Speakers urged elected officials and funders to increase long-term investment in youth programs, schools and community-based support systems…