Volunteers hope to make Chicago streets safer

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Pastor Corey Brooks of Chicago is busy coordinating a new campaign he hopes will make Chicago streets safer by putting volunteers on street corners to discourage violence.

Friday night, he will be out to scout potential locations.

Pastor Brooks says enough is enough as he pleads for the violence to end.

"God is our refuge and strength," he said.

Friday afternoon, the South Side pastor of New Beginnings Church officiated the funeral of another victim of gun violence, just days before the start of his new anti-violence initiative.

It's called Brothers on the Block, Sisters on the Street.

The idea is to cut down on violent crime by taking back the streets.

"We think overall if we can build relationships, we can establish that sense of community that we're desperately needing," he said.

Organizers have signed up roughly half of the 5,000 volunteers they want to assemble.

Beginning June 13, they'll cover over 500 blocks in the troubled Englewood and Woodlawn neighborhoods every weekend this entire summer, meaning they could sometimes be in harm's way.

"I live in Chicago. I don't live in fear any day of my life," said volunteer Tiffany Buchanan.

"Stop complaining and let's get involved and engaged as young people, because they need our help," volunteer Alvin Rider said.

The men will be out Friday nights from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The women will be out Saturday afternoons from noon until 3 p.m.

The idea is to build relationships with kids to help stem the tide of violence. Supporters say it's a small step in the right direction.

"Police can do only so much, but without everybody else joining in, we will never stop the shooting, this is going to stop the shooting," said Woodlawn neighborhood resident Michael Lewis.

And because there have already been countless rallies and marches in an effort to stop the violence some question if the effort will work.

"We can welcome the marches, we can welcome the rallies, but we need people to grow up and accept God in their lives," said Woodlawn neighborhood resident Antonio Jenkins.

Pastor Brooks and his staff will scout various locations to determine which corners need more attention than others. Saturday, volunteers will go through a training program so that they are ready to be on neighborhood corners by next weekend.