TOLEDO, Ohio — Sisters for Unity is an organization founded last year by four mothers bonded through grief.
"I lost my son, Christopher Kinnebrew. on July 3, 2021, to gun violence," Lashawnda Kinnebrew said.
"My son is Issac Carpenter. He was murdered on July 2, 2022," Aviance Hill said.
"My son's name is Jo'von Unique Porter, known as Dede Porter. He passed away on March 3, 2021. He was shot and killed," Abena Rowland said.
"I do have a 37-year-old son and I have not lost him through death, but I have lost him to the system because he has been in and out of jail," Yolanda Waller said.
All four of the women shared with the Toledo community how violence has rewritten the stories of their families. Together, they created Sisters 4 Unity in hopes of saving the next person.
"Every day I get to relive July 2 over and over again every single day," Hill said. "But I'm going to do it and I'm going to do it with power. I'm going to use my pain for power and purpose. I'm going to help change some laws. I'm going to help save some families."
Sisters 4 Unity is holding a march against gun violence from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Smith Park in central Toledo.
"Our children died tragically and it's all from a disconnect," Rowland said. "Our intention is to bring the connection back, bring the families back, bring the kids back where they can play and enjoy life and not be scared."
Alongside the mothers will be previous Toledo mayors like Michael Bell.
"We were concerned about the violence in our community, the four mayors, and we got together and figured if we're all still living and we care about this place, then we need to be able to help people," Bell said.
Bell was one of the people who encouraged the moms of Sisters 4 Unity to unite.
As mothers, they are taking the lead for every child and every family in Toledo.
"The previous mayors got us together," Hill said. "They pushed us to form a group basically to get our word out. Get our voice out. Get our message out."
Bell said it's important to remember that every number in homicide statistics belongs to a person, and that person belongs to a family.
"By uniting with these mothers, it has allowed for us to actually put faces with names," Bell said. "When you say that somebody has gotten shot or somebody has been killed, if you are distant from it, it doesn't make as much difference. But when you're on top of it and you can actually put names to it, you can put the feelings that people are having to it, then it makes you really want to be involved."
Current Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz will also attend the Sisters 4 Unity march and said the group is a key contributor to his Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
"We want to get together and let the community know we are tired of it. We don't want another mother, parent, grandfather, grandmother, no one to go through what we are going through," Kinnebrew said.
Waller said ending gun violence requires a community effort.
"We need everyone from all races and all walks of life," Waller said. "I do believe that when the community sees this happening, it will have a greater impact and an effect on the community."
The organization is still looking for partners and vendors to register. They are also accepting donations ahead of the march against gun violence.