As part of Stoneleigh’s efforts to address Philadelphia’ gun violence epidemic, the Foundation recently partnered with Love Now Media to produce Breaking Concrete, a short documentary on the role nature can play in healing from violence.
he way survivors and co-survivors of gun violence are taught to heal from gun violence can be formulaic: talk to your loved ones, seek therapy, and take anti-anxiety medications. But the path to healing isn’t the same for everyone, and these solutions aren’t a fix-all. For many folks seeking a remedy to the emotional pain they have experienced, the key has been access to nature and green spaces.
As a co-survivor of gun violence, Philly resident Denisha Odom knew she needed to find a way to cope after witnessing multiple shootings and losing loved ones to gun violence from a young age. “Sometimes with trauma, you’re kind of forced to take medication,” she said. Not wanting to rely on pharmaceuticals, she chose to look into the natural ways she could treat her body and mind.
Odom goes on hikes, plants trees and flowers for those she has lost, and has become an herbalist, finding ways to substitute what’s at the pharmacy for natural solutions and remedies.