Campaign aimed to curb Chicago street violence

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Young people are caught in the crossfire during a surge of violence on Chicago streets this spring and Sunday night, there is a push to get 5,000 men involved in an effort to do something about it before summer arrives.

The Stop the Violence campaign is being called "Brothers on the Block".

It's a campaign being led by Pastor Corey Brooks and Project Hood. The plan is send out 5,000 men to Chicago's most violent blocks to serve as mentors and role models. So far, over 1,000 men have signed up

William Callaway is the first to sign up, the 25-year-old is followed by many more African-American men of all ages. They come to the New Beginnings Church to be part of Pastor Corey Brooks' latest anti-violence campaign called Brothers on the Block occupation.

"On Friday nights in June, July August, we are going to be in the neighborhoods, on the blocks on, building report," Books said.

Brooks is looking for 5,000 black men willing to volunteer their time. They will work in teams of 10 on 500 of Chicago's most violent blocks.

"I'm not going to give up as long as there are people dying, guns shots. I'm not going to give up," said Calloway said.

Forty-two-year-old David Reynolds knows it won't be easy, but he hopes to have a positive impact, even if it means changing the life of just one teenage boy.

"We want to share our story, be an example or role model," he said. "Many of them come from broken homes and don't have anyone to reach out to."

The Brothers on the Block occupation sign up event began a few hours after a 15-year-old was shot in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Many at Pastor Brooks' event are hoping Chicago's daily gun violence with go down as result of some one on one interaction with black male role models.

No one wants change more than one mother whose son was shot to death.

"No families, no mothers, no grandmothers, nieces, nephews, nobody needs to feel like this," Miss Bailey said. "Put the guns down, let's find another way, let's find some positive energy going," said Miss Bailey.

The Brothers on the Block campaign will officially begin on Friday, June 6. Pastor Brooks will be signing people up until June 4. All men will have to go through a training session.