First Church has a growing relationship with the Boston-based Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.  For the past decade a team of First Church members and their supporters have participated in the annual Mother’s Day Walk for Peace, a major fundraising event organized by the Institute for its education, advocacy, and service programs. In addition, a member of First church has been participating in the LDBPI interfaith committee, which serves as an ambassador to the larger faith community.

The non-profit Peace Institute was founded in 1994 by families impacted by violence, after the tragic murder of Louis D. Brown, a 15-year-old Dorchester peace activist.  The organization is dedicated to educating young people and the community about the value of peace and assisting survivors of homicide victims with immediate crisis management services and ongoing support. As stated on the Peace Institute’s website: “Our strategies reflect this recognition:  a support network sits at the center of our activities, with public policy advocacy, community and national outreach forming the outer circle of our work.”

First Church members who walked in the 27^th annual Walk for Peace shared the following:

Why We Walk in the  Mother’s Day Walk for Peace

Penny:  The Walk reminds us of the toll this violence takes on us as human beings, as family members, and as a community, but it also holds out a hope, a hope for peace for ourselves and our children, that we can strive for.

Lauren: I walk because I’ve seen the impact the Peace Institute has in the community—supporting and holding space for people in unimaginable grief and walking side by side with them.

Jom:  I am grateful for the sacred work of peacemaking that Chaplain Chéry and the LDB Peace Institute offer to our city.  It’s an honor to support this work and walk in solidarity on Mother’s Day.

Nancy:  I walk because the Peace Institute takes a holistic approach to cultivating peace in the community by serving survivors of homicide, as well as returning citizens and their families.

Andrea:  The Peace Institute gives me a way to join in protesting violence and developing ways to build peace. Walking side by side, we support those who have lost loved ones to violence, and we commit to programs that move beyond blame to build community. 

Giulia: I deeply respect the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute and am in awe of their turning pain into action and healing. At this year’s walk, I learned about the critically important community reentry work the institute is doing. I welcome this opportunity to contribute to such important work. 

Patrick:  The Walk for Peace is a unique moment of solidarity for the city. People from all neighborhoods come together to walk in grief and optimism. I walk to be counted among the majority for peace. I walk to support the vital work of the Peace Institute.

Carol:  I am humbled to walk on Mother’s Day to support the courageous work and vision of the Peace Institute and its founder Chaplain Tina Chéry.  I walk with my neighbors who are honoring and remembering lost family and friends.  And I walk to support the continuing work of the Peace Institute who are available to support all those impacted by violence in our city, without discrimination, all families and friends who lose someone to violence or lose someone to the criminal justice system. 

If you would like to be part of the First Church Mother’s Day walk team as a walker or as a financial contributor, or if you want more information, you can access the First Church team page at www.mothersdaywalk4peace.org. You may also contact Nancy Ahmadifar at church or email the office to get in touch with our team.