With a recent homicide and an incident in which two local children ingested harmful chemicals consistent with the manufacturing of methamphetamine, several community members are collaborating in an effort of enriching the City of Milton through #MiltonMatters.
“We are using the name #MiltonMatters because it does,” said Tammy Jackson, who is helping with the city wide effort. “There has been so many incidences of violence and drug abuse that has attacked our city and we are standing against it.”
The initiative began on Friday night with a city-wide prayer event at Lucille Johnson Park. Jackson along with representatives from several local organizations and churches organized the prayer event, which also included Milton City Council Member Mary Ellen Johnson and Milton Police Captain David Cox.
Jackson said there are around five area churches which are behind this initiative, including Isaiah Chapel AME Zion Church which is allowing the group to use their facility on a regular basis for meetings.
“We just want to give back to our community,” Jackson said. “We want everybody to get involved.”
Through the initiative, the volunteers with Milton Matters want to assist those in need throughout the city through providing opportunities in employment and education.
While Milton Matters is still in its infancy, Jackson said she along with the other volunteers are open for any suggestions, adding a Milton Matters Facebook page will be up soon, offering updates and a way to contact community-based volunteers.
Although there is no direct course of action at this moment for the concerned citizens behind Milton Matters, the foundation for the initiative regards a close-knit community.
“We need to get the family involved, the village involved,” said Warren Hamilton, the vice president of the Men In Action mentoring organization. “We preach that a village raises a family. Let’s protect each other, Let’s stand behind each other, Let’s pray for each other.”
Cox agreed with Hamilton’s comments adding citizens should be more involved with today’s youth.
“It takes a village to raise a child,” Cox said. “I knew when I was coming up, I could do something two blocks away and my mother and father would know about before I got home…we have lost that somewhere in the modern age and I personally don’t think that it is a good thing.”
While Milton might be front and center of new awareness initiative, Rev. Anthony Scott of Isaiah Chapel said the need for such a movement goes way beyond city limits.
“America as a whole, this is something that is needed in all of our communities,” Scott said.
INFO: For more information on Milton Matters, contact Tammy Jackson by email at Evangelistjackson@rocketmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Concerned citizens urge community awareness through #Milton Matters