Helping to end gun violence: Guns to gardens returns to Bay Village
A gun is dismantled to be transformed into a garden tool at a Guns to Gardens event at St. Barnabas last October. The church will again host the event on April 13. Photo by Kari Eckel
Guns to Gardens is a national movement among faith-based organizations to intervene in gun violence. They seek to promote public safety and confidence by dismantling surrendered firearms, and inspiring alternatives to violence through the transformation of those guns into garden tools and other life-giving items.
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, 468 Bradley Road, will host a Safe-Surrender and Guns to Gardens program on Saturday, April 13, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Safe-surrender events promote public safety by giving individuals and family members the opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted and/or unsecured guns. A safe-surrender gun buyback is anonymous and 100% voluntary; it does not interfere with anyone’s right or ability to own a gun.
These events are just one part of a multifaceted approach to end the gun violence public health crisis in our nation, aiming to reduce the risk of homicides, suicides, unintentional or accidental shootings, domestic violence, and keep guns from getting into the wrong hands. They also aim to promote safe storage practices and more conversations about the dangers of having a gun in the home.
If you have any unwanted firearms, please bring them to St. Barnabas between 10 a.m. and noon on April 13. All firearms must be UNLOADED and transported securely (trunk of vehicle preferred). No ammunition can be accepted.
Firearms will be destroyed on site, then transformed into garden tools using a forge.
Halley Marsh
Halley Marsh currently serves as the Outreach Team Lead at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Bay Village, where she lives with her family.