VOLUNTEERS LEARN TO LEGALLY AND SAFELY DESTROY FIREARMS AT A SAFE SURRENDER EVENT. DEACON CLARENCE MCDAVID AND ONE CHURCH’S ROLE IN SAFE SURRENDER EVENTS Most safe surrender events are held at churches. Cars often snake around the block as individuals wait to receive a gift card to a supermarket, ranging from $50 to $150, in exchange for surrendering their gun. One safe surrender event can cost more than $25,000. Raw Tools funds the events through community and church donations. At Cure d’Ars Catholic Church in Denver, Deacon Clarence McDavid has helped host multiple Guns to Gardens events and has another safe surrender scheduled for July 19. “When I first heard about Guns to Gardens, I got so excited because it is scripturally based,” he said. “Jesus is clear — we are about giving life, not taking life.” McDavid worked with victims of gun violence as both a deacon and previously as the Director of the Crime Victim Bureau with the Colorado Springs Police Department. He said words feel trite when families are torn by gun violence. “How do you minister to someone through that? You meet them where they are. You hold their hand. You listen. It is the only thing you can do,” McDavid said. McDavid’s Park Hill church has long served one of the Denver neighborhoods most heavily affected by gun and gang violence. “One of the things our members are asking us is, ‘What are you doing [about gun violence]? Where is your voice in “ WE’RE NOT HERE TO TAKE AWAY ALL GUNS. WE’RE HERE TO PROVIDE A CHOICE. A CHOICE TO DISARM. A CHOICE TO TRANSFORM. A CHOICE TO HEAL. all of this?’ They are expecting that we will have a voice, that the church must respond to the violence,” McDavid said. McDavid said the Guns to Gardens safe surrender events are important actions communities can take when the problem feels impossible to tackle. “We collected 35 weapons at one event, and four of them were assault weapons. When you see the pile of gun barrels, it really hits you. Each one represents a potential tragedy that has been prevented,” McDavid said. For Martin and the team at Raw Tools, this work is about changing the narrative and offering alternatives. “We’re not here to take away all guns. We’re here to provide a choice. A choice to disarm. A choice to transform. A choice to heal,” Martin said. Martin is hopeful that the Guns to Gardens message that transformation and change can bring healing will continue to reach more people. “Ten years ago, I don’t know if I would have felt as hopeful,” he said. “But now, I see more people willing to think differently, willing to take action.” Honoring Jayden’s Legacy As Cooper moves forward, she remains dedicated to keeping Jayden’s memory alive. She recently moved into a new home. Cooper made the decision to pay $500 more each month to rent a larger home, one with an extra bedroom for Jayden. His room is carefully set up displaying his football helmet, clothes, and a book that his classmates made. “I really got to keep his room until I’m ready,” she said. “I wanted a space where I could go, sit, and just be with him.” She now awaits trial, which has been rescheduled to May 21 — the day after what would have been Jayden’s 17th birthday. Cooper continues to participate in as many Guns to Garden surrender events as possible. She hopes that her story, and her work with Guns to Gardens, will inspire change. “I don’t want any other parent to feel this pain,” she said. “If I can stop just one family from going through what I’ve been through, it’s worth it.” 12 DENVER VOICE April 2025
13 Publizr Home