Gun Buyback
Interfaith GVP Network
Support an Up-County Gun Buyback
April 20, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
In the parking lot of
United Church of Christ of Seneca Valley
(member of the Interfaith GVP Network)
13421 Clopper Road
Germantown, Maryland 20874
United Church of Christ of
Seneca Valley
(click here for a version of this formatted for email)
Dear Concerned Citizen,
America has a gun violence epidemic, with far more guns than people.[1] Montgomery County gun violence has also “risen sharply” in recent years.[2] In response to this crisis, the Interfaith GVP Network is sponsoring this “Up-County Gun Buyback” on April 20, 2024, 9 a.m.-1:00 p.m., in Germantown, MD, with participation of the Offices of the Montgomery County Sheriff, Maxwell Uy, and State’s Attorney, John McCarthy. They will send members of their staffs to provide security, check gun serial numbers, and destroy surrendered guns. Gun owners may anonymously turn in functional guns with no questions asked. In exchange, they will get a gift card for an amount depending on the type of gun surrendered as well as gun safety information. Successful gun buybacks have been held recently in Baltimore and Rockville.[3]
Network members supporting this buyback include the United Church of Christ of Seneca Valley, in Germantown, the site of the buyback, and the Pax Christi Chapter of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, in Gaithersburg. Our goal is to help save lives by removing unwanted guns from homes in the community.
We seek financial support from Montgomery County businesses, other members of the Interfaith GVP Network, other faith groups, county offices, and the public to help fund this buyback. We hope to raise a minimum of $30,000, enabling us to remove at least 300 guns from county streets at an average of $100 per gun.[4] The more money we raise the more guns we can remove from the community and further increase public safety.
All donations are 100% tax deductible. A generous donor will also cover all online transaction fees.
To donate by credit or debit card, click here
To donate by check,please make it payable to “Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore,” and specify in the check’s memo line: “Up-County Gun Buyback.” Please mail checks to: Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore, c/o Kurt Hansen, 6621 Struttmann Lane, Rockville, MD 20852.
For more information, please contact: Steve Klitzman, Interfaith GVP Network, steve.klitzman@gmail.com; Rev. Holly Jackson, UCC Seneca Valley, hollyrjackson@gmail.com; Robert Moore, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Pax Christi Chapter, bob20874@gmail.com
References:
[2] According to county Police Chief Marcus Jones and Lee Holland, President of the county Fraternal Order of Police. See https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/07/11/montgomery-county-gun-violence-double/
[3] See Gary Lambrecht, “Archdiocese of Baltimore’s gun buyback effort takes 362 firearms off the streets, promotes peace and hope,” Catholic Review, Aug. 7, 2023,https://catholicreview.org/archdiocese-of-baltimores-gun-buyback-effort-takes-362-firearms-off-the-streets-promotes-peace-and-hope/. See also https://moco360.media/2023/08/24/gun-buyback-event-to-offer-100-and-200-for-firearms-saturday-in-rockville/
[4] Note: if the buyback does not occur because of insufficient funding, we will donate any raised funds to “Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, Education Fund,” a leading tax deductible GVP group in Maryland. We will donate unused gift cards to the Upcounty Hub. See https://www.theupcountyhub.org/