HOUSTON – Community leaders, residents, and local organizations gathered Saturday for the “Rise Up, Stand Up: Our Community, Our Responsibility” block party, an event aimed at promoting healing, reducing gun violence, and connecting residents with free community resources.

Dr. Matthews attended the event, meeting with organizers, residents, and community partners while highlighting the importance of community involvement in preventing violence. The event featured food, live entertainment, music, health services, blood donation opportunities, HIV testing, haircuts, giveaways, and information from numerous community organizations.

Representatives with Harris County Public Health discussed the county’s Community and Hospital Violence Intervention Program, which has operated since 2022. Officials said the initiative employs outreach workers with lived experience who engage individuals considered at the highest risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of violence. The program currently serves five targeted areas of Harris County, including South Park, Sunnyside, Greater South Union, Cypress Station, and Cloverleaf. Officials said the program has prevented more than 170 potential incidents of gun violence since its launch.

Program leaders said their teams work to connect people with employment assistance, identification documents, benefits, and other resources while encouraging residents to seek help before conflicts escalate. They described the initiative as a public health approach intended to reduce violence and lower recidivism by ensuring individuals successfully receive the services they need rather than simply being referred elsewhere.

Throughout the event, speakers encouraged attendees to support one another, report dangerous situations, and continue building stronger neighborhoods beyond Gun Violence Awareness Month. Organizers said preventing violence requires ongoing community engagement and collaboration throughout the year.