Dear TRUST Network Stakeholder,

Thank you to those who could join us for our monthly stakeholder meeting earlier this week. These meetings are an important space where we can come together and learn which both enhances our practices and strengthens the Network.

We began the meeting with a moment of reflection to commemorate the second anniversary of the deadly shooting at a Tops Friendly Market supermarket in Buffalo, New York. We continue to reflect on the impacts of that day and, unfortunately, the prevalence of violence in our world today. Our work is crucial.

Hosting Dr. Cathy Buerger with the Dangerous Speech Project was an honor. The presentation provided useful definitions, applications, and, importantly, examples of successful interventions. You can access her presentation here.

The meeting will be grounded in a presentation by Kira Hamman, Program Co-Director of the Pennsylvania Core Team with Urban Rural Action (UR Action). UR Action was founded in 2018 on the conviction that our geographic, generational, racial, political, and other differences in the U.S. are a source of strength. Kira is part of a team leading the implementation of the Uniting to Prevent Targeted Violence in South-Central Pennsylvania program.

Kira Hamman is the Director of Programs for Urban Rural Action, a national grassroots organization bringing people together across divides to tackle urgent problems in their communities and the country. Kira has been with UR Action in various capacities since its inception in 2017 and is currently co-directing the DHS-funded Uniting to Prevent Targeted Violence in South-Central Pennsylvania program. Her background is in higher education, and in addition to directing programs, she helps develop and facilitate the organization's work with colleges and universities. She grew up in downtown Baltimore City and has lived on a small farm in rural Washington County, Maryland for over 20 years, thus functioning as a one-person bridge across the urban-rural divide.