News Release - Pathways to Peace to Celebrate 20 Years of Service

City of Rochester

News Release

(Tuesday, April 24, 2018) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren announced today that the City’s Pathways to Peace street outreach program will celebrate 20 years of service in Rochester with a luncheon featuring former Mayor William A. Johnson Jr., the founder of Pathways to Peace, as the keynote speaker.

“For two decades, Pathways to Peace workers have been engaging youth on the streets of Rochester and helping them find alternatives to the traps of gangs, drugs and violence,” said Mayor Warren. “I can think of no better way to celebrate this milestone than with Mayor Johnson, whose vision set this program on its course. Pathways to Peace employs the power of prevention to help us make our streets safer, which bolsters our efforts to create more jobs, more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities for our citizens.”

The Pathways to Peace 20th Anniversary Celebration Luncheon will be held at noon Wednesday, May 23 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center, 123 E. Main St. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.

Pathways to Peace was launched in 1998 as part of a comprehensive effort to safeguard the lives of city youth at risk of becoming involved in violence. Street outreach workers assess the needs of youth in targeted neighborhoods, diffuse potentially violent situations and network with all available resources to connect at-risk youth to appropriate services.

The luncheon will feature stories of youth who have benefited from Pathways to Peace over the years. Current and former Pathways to Peace employees will attend the luncheon along with the program’s collaborative partners. A video presentation of Pathways to Peace during the Years will be played.

The luncheon is produced by the City of Rochester and is sponsored by Department of Recreation and Youth Services.

Tickets to the luncheon are $40 or $375 for a table of 10. For more information, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/pathwaystopeace/.

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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135.