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Date: 9/6/2023
SPRINGFIELD — Juanita Baker has known the loss of a child to gun violence and she is trying to provide services to help victims heal and to prevent more gun violence in the city.
Baker is the executive director of the Darrell Lee Jenkins Jr., Resource Center, which has recently moved to a new location at 390 Dickinson St.
She explained to Reminder Publishing that in 2014, her son Darrell was murdered in front of their home. In 2020 she founded a support group for parents titled MORE and then in 2021 opened the resource center at 20 Maple St.
The move to the location offers the nonprofit group a larger space for the expansion of programs, she said.
In a written statement sent to Reminder Publishing, she wrote, “Gun violence is an epidemic in Springfield. There is also rampant gun violence that doesn’t result in death that barely makes the news. Parents are afraid to let their children play outside. Our young people are growing into adults in a culture of death and danger. Many go missing, leaving their families agonized for their safety. This is an affront to the United States Declaration of Independence, which affirms that all people are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
She continued in the statement, “First, we are calling on US Attorney Rachel Rollins to hold regular office hours at the 300 State St. location that are posted to the public. We believe this will be of benefit to both the U.S. Attorney in following the progress (or lack thereof) of the items in the consent decree; and will help build relationships with the U.S. Attorney and members of the community who have been so negatively impacted by the Springfield police. Second, we would also like to know: 1.) How many police staff hours are put into unsolved murders? 2.) What is the budget for this work? 3.) Are the detectives in the Homicide Unit experienced and if so, what are their qualifications to do this important work?”
With the murder rate in the city at a decade-long high, Baker said, “So many families are losing loved ones to gun violence.”
The new space for the center has the potential for a “safe space” for youth who are facing pressure to carry a gun, she said, as well as support groups for the victims of violence.
The organization is accepting donations to support its work and has received financial assistance from the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance. Baker said that local officials have helped the center, including City Councilors Justin Hurst and Tracye Whitfield as well as state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfield) and state Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield), who have secured some state funds.
“We do have some people trying to help,” she said.
The DLJ also collaborates with ROCA in addressing at-risk youth, she added.
Baker said the group has contacted Mayor Domenic Sarno for assistance in creating DLJ as 24/7-gun violence safe space that would be on-call to assist families who have suffered from gun violence. She added that so far, she has not heard from Sarno about the proposal.
She also plans to have a program specifically for children who have lost their parents to violence, which will offer a variety of activities.
The organization will be announcing a fundraiser in the near future.
The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with extended hours for support groups on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The organization is currently rebuilding its website and is in the process of remodeling the new space, she added. To reach the center, call 413-273-1763.