HIGH POINT, N.C. — A North Carolina nonprofit has created a strategy to help combat crime, with a focus on our youth.

Gretta Bush is a volunteer at the High Point Boys and Girls Club. She’s no stranger to working with the city’s youth — she spent the last 40 years working with kids at the city of High Point Parks and Recreation centers.

"It’s one of those things that comes by the nature of the blessing, that you just continuing around children teaching and trying to help the community be a better place," said Bush.

She loves the interaction with the kids, but it also helps her in her day job. Bush is the president of the High Point Community Against Violence (HPCAV) nonprofit.

"You actually see it, you walk it, so you’re able to give a description of what's going on and apply what that need might be in the community," said Bush.

Bush got into this work after almost losing her daughter to gun violence.

"My daughter, by the grace of God, just missed being killed by a stray bullet," Bush said.

Every month Bush meets with police and other community leaders to seek ways to lower crime in the city. HPCAV started back in 1997 after an increase in the local crime rate.

"People were killing each other left and right. They would have candlelight vigils, light a candle, say we’re not going to do [this] anymore and go right back to it. The candle go out and the violence started right back," Bush said.

Bush says in her experience, the solution to violent crime here or anywhere isn’t one size fits all, but different strategies for different generations and cities.

HPCAV works with the Violent Crimes Task Force (VCTF), a group of law enforcement officials consisting of the High Point Police Department Community Corrections, ATF, FBI, SBI, DEA, District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to keep residents safe from violent offenders.  

The organization assists in confronting offenders who are involved in violent crime, offering offenders help in turning their lives in a positive direction and supporting the prosecution process if the offenders re-offend and return to crime and violence.

"Whatever comes and is on our plate, is what we do," said Bush.

The group’s strategy now is to personally reach out to young people involved in lower level crimes, or at-risk, and help them before their actions lead them down a worse path.

But the strategy continues to change to fit the times and it’s why Bush continues to work with kids.

"We are helping them because you are a human being, you’re a person, it’s not about what you done, how bad it was, whether you’re guilty or not. We’re just trying to make sure you’re safe, your family [is] safe, as well as the city," said Bush.

HPCAV works with 12 other law enforcement agencies and federal agencies across the state.