NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A movement of moms are working to ‘Take Back the Community’ from crime in their own unique way.
10 On Your Side first told you about Monica Atkins, the founder of Stop the Violence 757, who adopted a section of Effingham Street after her son Antonio Atkins was shot and killed in a drive-by 10 years ago.
Stop the Violence 757 holds clean-up event in Portsmouth
Reginia Richardson-Bailey, a Stop the Violence 757 volunteer, adopted Manson Street after losing her son D’Vurille Bailey. During a clean-up on Manson Street in October, longtime friend Drenda Menser set out a goal to adopt Fenner Street in the new year to honor her son Keyontay Harris.
Exactly one month later, on Nov. 30, Menser was working to accomplish the goal by organizing her first clean up with Keep Norfolk Beautiful.
“Unfortunately, I’m on the block that my son was shot on,” said Menser. “I want to keep Fenner Street clean because it’s claimed so many lives. Unfortunately, I took a look into the background of the street after my son got shot and they have actually claimed the lives of 13 individuals back here on Fenner Street. You got everything back here from guns to drugs to obviously trash in the street.”