Groceries for Guns
The Philadelphia Public Record
by Rory G. McGlasson


Grocery stores have deals to entice customers on a daily basis: Buy one, get one; ten for $10; spend $50, get 200 club card points, or a free turkey.

How about bring in a rifle or shotgun and get a free food voucher for $200?

That's exactly what Fresh Grocer had on offer last weekend, as part of a "Guns for Groceries" ininiative.

Congressman Chaka Fattah, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown and IBEW Local 98 union, and many business, civic and nonprofit partners put together a plan to collect guns on Martin Luther King Jr. day.

All people had to do was bring in a gun to the Columbia YMCA, N. Broad & Master Streets, in North Philadelphia, on Monday, as an MLK initiative for nonviolence and receive a $200 voucher.

Shoppers came in droves as they turned in 252 firearms!

The "Guns for Groceries Initiative" was created by Councilwoman Reynolds Brown, and inspired by the Gun Safe Philadelphia program of Congressman Fattah.

Brown said it "far exceeded expectations and brought thanks from the Philadelphia Police Department. Police officials called it one of the largest single-day gun buybacks ever.

Police displayed the 252 weapons -- including sawed off shotguns, rifles, and 177 handguns -- during a news conference at 22nd and 23rd District headquarters at N. 17th Street and Montgomery Avenue, Tuesday.

Spread across a long table were long guns and dozens of so-called Saturday Night Specials that police said were exactly the kinds of lethal weapons they find on the streets.

The target had been the surrender of 200 firearms. All weapons turned in to police will be destroyed within a month, police said.

The "Groceries for Guns Initiative" operated for six hours at the Columbia. The Y opened its doors for volunteers to process the grocery vouchers and also to conduct a special holiday basketball tournament.

Vouchers for $200 worth of groceries were supplied by The Fresh Grocer, with underwriting from Local 98 Business Manager John Dougherty. Other partners included PECO, Merrill Lynch, Men United for a Better Philadelphia, People for People Inc., Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and Radio One, which promoted the buyback with programming throughout the day.

Philadelphia Police conducted the gun surrender, checking each weapon for live ammunition and storing the weapons in a mobile van parked in front of the YMCA. In at least one case, a woman handed over a shotgun without realizing it was fully loaded. Several boxes of ammunition and numerous loose shells were also surrendered.

Congressman Fattah noted that 344 of the 406 homicide victims in Philadelphia last year were killed with firearms -- 85% of the 2006 homicide total.

"As leaders, we have to go beyond politics and work with everyone to make sure that Philadelphians have the opportunity to live, work and raise their families in a gun-safe city."

Councilwoman Reynolds Brown added, "The success in the guns collected did more than get guns off the street. It is keeping children out of harm's way....We are a step closer in fulfilling Dr. King's dream of nonviolence in our communities and against one another."

Mayoral candidate Fattah announced that a second guns-for-goods buyback would be conducted Saturday, Feb. 10, at the West Philadelphia YMCA at 52nd & Chestnut Streets. In addition, a Tip Line for citizens to report and lead to the seizure of illegal firearms will be launched, he said.