ST. LOUIS — As gun violence continues to plague our city and beyond, one group is not giving up the fight.
The St. Louis City chapter of Moms Demand Action gathered to share stories, heal together and push for change on Saturday Morning at a North St. Louis Church.
Sharon Williams, Moms Demand Action St. Louis City Co-Lead, said "The way that people experience trauma is different and so there has to be other ways for people to get out here and find the help that they need."
For the other co-lead Sheleasa Blackwell, that help starts with the people showing up to these meetings.
"I used to come to the meetings all the time, not knowing that I will actually be one of the co-leaders and talking about my story," she said.
Blackwell's lost her son and nephew to gun violence just two months apart. Williams has had to live with the loss of her son for the past 16 years after gun violence took him.
"I advocate in the community, to put an end to this senseless gun violence because we are losing too many of our children and it's a crisis," Blackwell said.
Williams described dealing with this kind of grief alone as 'traumatic.'
"Moms Demand Action is the organization in which I can learn to grow in my experience of advocating and also helping others to find ways to deal with their trauma," she said.
It's advocating that took the group to our nation's capital just one weekend ago, as they pushed for gun laws to change.
"It's too easy for people to get guns underage," Blackwell said.
"It's disheartening to find out that while we are, so few of us, trying to advocate for gun laws to change, that there's so many still out here, doing the crimes that keep us doing our jobs of trying to get the guns off the street," Williams said.
While it's an uphill battle, these moms said they will never stop fighting.
"I want to connect with other families who may not speak out, just to let them know I'm here. I will not give up at all," Blackwell said.
"I refuse to stop doing this until I look at the news one day at 10 o'clock, and I don't see anybody has been killed by gun violence," Williams said.
According to 5 On Your Side data, there have been at least 78 homicides this year alone in St. Louis City. Two of them were kids.
You can donate to Moms Demand Action here.