INDIANAPOLIS — Major Corey Mims and Pastor Ronald Covington are just two of the participants in this year's "Faith & Blue" weekend in Indianapolis.
There are multiple events geared towards young people including a car seat check and a youth town hall Friday evening.
"Building that relationship and and then it just makes it also special when we can include the young people we've been across the years, investing in our young people. " Covington, the pastor of Friends Missionary Baptist Church, said.
"It provides a unique platform for us to build bridges, to attack or address some of those biases that you know, that the kids feel, the community feels, and build a stronger community altogether. " Major Mims said.
Pastor Covington has seen first hand grieving families as they say goodbye to their loved ones.
"I buried too many young people" Pastor Covington said.
Leaders say its startling to see youth caught up in crime.
"It's heartbreaking, and I've sad, and particularly because all of the young people that are being killed, they and involved in crime " Pastor Covington said.
By talking to kids and teens, police can get a different perspective of what is going on in their communities.
"It's going to be great to listen to what the children have to say, the youth have to say about what solutions they have in order to address crime in their communities, " Pastor Covington said.
Here are the events for the weekend:
Saturday, October 5 – Car Seat Safety Clinic & Community Resource Fair
Car Seat Safety Clinic
- Location: Firefly Children & Family Alliance, 3801 N Temple Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46205
- Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
- Details: Certified experts will provide hands-on demonstrations, safety checks, and education on proper car seat installation and usage.
Community Resource Fair
- Location: Resurrection Community Church, 2502 E 38th St, Indianapolis, IN 46218
- Time: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
- Details: Community partners will provide information on essential services and resources for Indianapolis families.
Sunday, October 6 – Faith Visits
IMPD Command Staff and leadership will visit the following local places of worship to build connections and foster dialogue with congregations:
- Villa Baptist Church – 2650 Villa Ave | Lead Pastor RT Stringer | 11:00 a.m.
- Nu Corinthians – 5935 W 56th St | Pastor Terry Webster Sr | 10:00 a.m.
- Allen Chapel – 637 E 11th St | Pastor Charles Fontaine Macon | 10:30 a.m.
- Resurrection Community Church – 2502 E 38th St | Pastor Orlando Jordan | 10:30 a.m.
- Tuxedo Baptist Church – 29 N Grant Ave | Pastor Eddie Smith Sr | 10:45 a.m.
- Friendship Missionary Baptist Church – 1301 N Goodlet Ave | Pastor Ronald Covington | 11:00 a.m.