Harlem Mothers & Fathers Stop Another Violent End
Harlem Mothers & Fathers S.A.V.E. is a non-profit organization located in the heart of Harlem. Their mission is to prolong life among New York City's youth by preventing gun violence. This single issue, nonprofit organization divides its efforts into three areas: Activism, Education, and Victim Services.
Foresight
Through attending Harlem Mothers & Fathers victim service sessions, we realized that uniting a community through grief allows them to rewrite the narrative of violence.
Discovery
People who have been transformed by loosing someone to violent acts speak the language of grief best, and can show others how to channel their emotions to change gun violence too.
The Language of Grief
Position Harlem Mothers & Fathers as the people who are fluent in
“the language of grief”, because they know how to inspire
and guide healing in the community.
“the language of grief”, because they know how to inspire
and guide healing in the community.
Print, time-based and experiential applications of the
big idea lead the audience through a bigger lens of
change through grief. Each piece shows the transformative
process of grief and how Harlem Mothers & Fathers
can help transform other's grief into growth.
big idea lead the audience through a bigger lens of
change through grief. Each piece shows the transformative
process of grief and how Harlem Mothers & Fathers
can help transform other's grief into growth.
Replacing vacant lots with gardens in neighborhoods below the poverty line in Philadelphia has reduced crime by up to 29% in the surrounding area.
Creativity
Harlem Mothers & Fathers would take
over the vacant lot across the street from their headquarters in Harlem to make a sustainable garden that would build community through allowing them to reflect on their grief and grow it into action.
over the vacant lot across the street from their headquarters in Harlem to make a sustainable garden that would build community through allowing them to reflect on their grief and grow it into action.
Residents of Harlem will be provided with plantable letters to bring to the garden.
The community will be able to reflect on their grief, get their hands dirty planting their sentiments, then work with Jenny’s Garden members to ensure the garden's growth.
The community garden would open with the Spoken Grief and Growth event on June 3rd; National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The event would include opportunities for the community to plant their sentiments, listen to a live poetry slam hosted by Aron Gadson and participate in a live mural painting lead by Derek Fordjour.
Instagram reels would be used to create conversations around the stories of Harlem Mothers & Fathers members about how they've grown from their grief. From their stories, they'll help the community understand how they can go from grief to growth as well.
Growing From
Grief Podcast
Grief Podcast
Harlem Mothers & Fathers would launch a podcast called Growing from Grief. The podcast would allow the organization to have passive income through monthly subscribers. In the first episode, they'd host Dr. Kola who would talk about the history of the Black experience which could help listeners with using the past to empower their future.
Earned Coverage
We would give NY1 an exclusive interview at the opening day of the garden with Harlem Mothers & Fathers founder, Jackie Adams. With NY1 leading coverage of the event, word would spread quickly to larger optimistic news outlets such as Good Morning America.
Outcome
- 500+ seeds planted from our gardening event
- 2 Million Impressions
- 100,000 Listens to the podcast
- 2x Amount of volunteers
- 45% Increase in social media conversation
- 10x Increase in followers on social media
- 2 Million Impressions
- 100,000 Listens to the podcast
- 2x Amount of volunteers
- 45% Increase in social media conversation
- 10x Increase in followers on social media
Spec Work developed with TMRW Agency (Mayce Barker, Aubrey Downing, Sabrina Khan, Justine Sanborn, Hanako Suzuki, Niki Thomany, and Bonnie Tse) for BIC at City College of New York.
PR campaign concept and visual assets by Justine Sanborn.
PR campaign concept and visual assets by Justine Sanborn.
