JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Since her son's shooting death in 2014, we've followed Tonya Love's mission, as a mother, to prevent future tragedies.
"You can make a better impact and a better legacy doing something positive than you can doing something negative," she told First Coast News.
She's been on the front lines, fighting for more crime prevention funding and is even partnering with the city of Jacksonville to educate children about the dangers of gun and gang violence.
"To give them the confidence that they don't need to join a gang, a group, or whatever they want to call it, a mischievous people, or individuals that are going to do illegal acts," she explained of her efforts to eliminate senseless killings.
Her push is similar to the program started by Father Greg Boyle in Los Angeles in the 1980's.
What has become the world's largest gang intervention and rehab program in the world, Homeboy Industries, has helped former gang members receive a second chance.
"If you ignore folks who are in gangs, then you are undercutting your best efforts at prevention," Father Boyle said.
Boyle spoke Thursday at the State Attorney's Office in downtown Jacksonville about his organizations efforts to decrease crime.
He says cities should strive to reach five key outcomes: Reducing recidivism, reducing substance abuse, improving social connectedness, improving housing safety and stability and reunifying families.
"Not everything that works helps, but everything that helps works. So, find the thing that helps," Father Boyle said.
Love is hoping to find what helps Jacksonville's neighborhoods and families from becoming the next victim of preventable violence. "As a community, we all need to step up and step in because it's called Jacksonville. We are a village and we just have to stop the separating," she said.
For more information about Homeboy Industries, click here.