ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Another violent weekend in Rochester has community organizations stepping up their efforts to help victims and prevent future violence.

“It’s just devastating,” said Rise Up Rochester executive director Wanda Riddeway. “It’s heartbreaking.”

What You Need To Know

  • Another violent weekend in Rochester has community organizations stepping up efforts to help victims and prevent future violence

  • One way Rise Up Rochester works to help make a difference is through its Community Engagement to Reduce Victimization Program, or CERV

  • CERV is a group that represents several area organizations that meets every week, a collaboration working to help victims of violence

The organization consoles the families of every murder victim in the city of Rochester. And there’s been little rest for Ridgeway.

“We have to respond in the middle of the night, any time in the middle of the day, we’re there,” Ridgeway said. “We try to be there to support those families.”

That includes the family of Cahj’miere Robinson, 17, who police say was killed Sunday in the early morning hours after being shot multiple times at the park behind the Thomas Ryan Recreation Center on Webster Avenue.

“It was a really scary night,” Ridgeway said. “A dark night. Like what happened? Kids can’t be kids. You can’t go to a party. You can’t attend sleepovers. You can’t do anything because it’s like you want to watch your kids. I get it all the time, ma let me live. How can I let you live in a community where people’s lives are being taken every other day? It’s hard.”

One way Rise Up Rochester works to help make it easier is through its Community Engagement to Reduce Victimization Program, or CERV.

CERV is a group that represents several area organizations that meets every week, a collaboration working to help victims of violence.

“We share cases that are really challenging and together we try to come up with solutions and help the community, the victim, their family get to a healthier place," said CERV’s Coordinator, Isabel Rosa. “They’re either gunshot victims, stabbing victims, assault victims, sometimes it could be their house getting shot up. A lot of houses are being shot up. A lot of neighborhoods are kind of being taken over by this crime and this is the community that we serve. There’s so much demand and there’s so much need. No one program can do this.”

The Rise Up Rochester team spoke at a location that stirs emotions for the organization’s executive director.

"I’m really sad, you know, I’m angry,” she said. 

It’s been just one month since Ridgeway’s beloved great-nephew was shot and killed at the location. Jaquise Davis, 16, was a student at East High.

“It’s just, it’s scary,” Ridgeway said. “My mother who is 92 years old and to hear her weep every night because he came to visit her, it just breaks my heart.”

So the effort to prevent the murders of young people and people of all ages presses on.

“And we’re a team under CERV to come together to come up with resources to try to help families out here,” Ridgeway said. “So if you need help or any support, please, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.”