ABOUT VIGILS FOR HEALING
Vigils for Healing is an interfaith community ministry for loved ones of homicide victims.
Our original mission was simply to hold public interfaith spiritual observances at every murder site in Forsyth County, North Carolina, USA.
Since that time our outreach and services have broadened, spurred in many instances by the ideas and energy of people in the community who believe in our mission.
The vigils provide a forum for people to publicly express their feelings about violence and their empathy for the suffering of neighbors.
We have been holding vigils since January, 2006.
TO CONTACT US: Due to recent hacking of our "contact us" link, we ask that you temporarily copy and past tracemax2@gmail.com into your email program. We will reply ASAP.
OUR CORE
At our core, Vigils for Healing is an all-volunteer advocacy and educational organization whose two-fold mission:
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promote healing for people affected by violent death
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to change community reaction from passive acceptance to active rejection of violence on moral, ethical, and spiritual grounds.
TO RECLAIM AND HEAL
We call on the power of God and a caring community to promote healing for everyone affected by violence, including those arrested for the murder and their loved ones who also suffer.
We reclaim the sites of violent death and the surrounding neighborhood as life-affirming space.
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Hold public interfaith Vigils for Healing to mark violent loss of life in Forsyth County, NC, and surrounding areas.
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Mail a packet of support information to families of murder victims.
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Organize Broken Hearts, Better Days, a monthly support group for people who grieve the violent death of a loved one.
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Donate hand-made prayer shawls and throws to victims' families.
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Organize Hands Without Guns , a gun safety awareness activity for children.
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Hold a free annual Summer Picnic and Holiday Potluck Party for families and loved ones of people who have been murdered.
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Provide financial support (via The Winston-Salem Foundation's Chrissy Gallaher Victim Assistance Fund) to families who are struggling with the costs related to the violent death of their loved one.
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Collaborate with any person or group who would like to organize an observance of violent death.