Category Archives: The Anti-Violence Arsenal
#BringRyanHome
32-year-old Ryan Rodriquez disappeared on Friday, December 6 under suspicious circumstances near the Fresno County community of Huron, CA. He was working in the area and had stopped to fill up his water tanker truck, a co-worker had the last known interaction with him at around 10:30 am. Ryan’s family and friends have indicated that to their knowledge Ryan had no reason to want to cut off contact with anyone. His broken cell phone and sunglasses were found near his tanker truck and there has been no activity on his credit cards or bank account since his disappearance.
Ryan has no known enemies and is very close to his family and friends. It is very unusual for them not to hear from him on a regular basis. Ryan could be anywhere, the rural area where he was last seen is near Interstate 5. Police and volunteer search teams have combed the area on foot, by car and helicopter to no avail. No one knows if he is in danger and Ryan’s family is pleading for his safe return. A $20,000 reward has been offered for information leading to his whereabouts. PLEASE SHARE his story and be on the lookout for anyone fitting his description. Any sightings or information should be directed to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office at 559-600-3111.
Be Thankful
Make this Thanksgiving a day for making connections and memories. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and remember all the things you have to be thankful for. ~ Together Against Violence
#life #love #loss
#life #love #loss
Life
Despite the two years of memories that have filled our lives since you were taken from us, there is not one moment that cannot be eclipsed by the darkness we felt that night. The night that is just still, too much to bear. We have tried our best and hope that we have done your memory justice. Too many victims have had their lives negated by the people who took their lives. Victims are subjected to an indignity in life and also in death as their assailants often point fingers at the deceased, disparaging them in their foolish attempts to thwart the legal system. We hope and most sincerely pray that this does not happen to you.
No matter how much things change, how many good people we meet and we have met many because of you, no matter how much good news we hear. Life is just not the same, the zest and zeal are gone, will it ever come back? We really don’t know, no matter how much fun or laughter there is. We look around at each other and you are not there, life doesn’t get any easier, we just learn to manage better, we put on the happy face more often. We fool more people, more often.
Love
Love is the burden we will always bear, no matter how far away from the tragedy we are. We cry because we care, we try not to waste the precious time we have, we fill it to the brim…just like you did. You lived for the excitement, stress and heartache and were more than happy to pick yourself up and do it again. Then one day you were able to find that happiness and we could see the love and sincerity all over your face but it was short-lived, within a few weeks, you were gone. Love is the burden we carry like no other and we will always do so.
Loss
How do we manage the loss of you, we listen to music that reminds us of you. We like the things you liked, we tell the jokes you told, we dance the way you danced. We hold each other tight, we tell each other “I love you” more often, we see each other more, and we pray for you. We’ve become closer to God. All these things we have to do to make up for the loss of your presence, we try to capture the essence of you, manifested through each of us. It will always be there, they may have taken you from us, but not one person can take away the memories and love we have for you. These things are not lost and one day when our time comes, we will meet again. It will be like you never left, it will be like that night never happened.
Last Call Before the MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Competition – May 12th, 2013
Pitch, Hit and Run takes place tomorrow. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to advance to the finals and participate in a Major League Baseball ballpark!!! We also wanted to give thanks to Valley Food Super Center in Kerman, CA for their generous support with this event because of them we will be able to provide free snacks and refreshments for participants. THANK YOU!!!
May 12, 2013 Local Pitch, Hit & Run Competition
Competitions like Pitch, Hit & Run are the perfect opportunity to engage children and teenagers with their fellow community leaders and peers. Studies have shown that the formation of strong community ties helps reduce violence among our youth. Team sports as well as volunteer work are great ways to keep our kids involved and also reinforce the importance of team work and giving back to our communities.
If you live in the Kerman, CA area and would like to volunteer for this event please contact Michelle Thompson at 559-681-1185. To find a local Pitch, Hit & Run Competition in your area please follow this link http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/kids/mlb_pitch_hit_run.jsp and click the “Find a Local Competition” button.
Together Against Violence 