b" philly truceEnding fights before they beginbad situation, Mr. Pickens says. His group did not hear what happened to the other app users after their first text.Philly Truce took the app offline last fall so it could be updated specifically for kids to use. It is expected to be ready for the new school year in September. Mr. Pickens says he and his team are working on the app with the School District of Philadelphias Safety Office. The goal is to help students get home from school safely and to help resolve conflicts both in and out of school before they become violent. Philly Truce is trying to help peopleYoull be able to use the updated app stop violence in Philadelphia. to get help for yourself or someone else who is in danger of getting into The organization has been working ona fight, Mr. Pickens says. You can a new version of a phone app that itget help about a conflict in your created a few years ago. Anyone whoown neighborhood or in any other sees a conflict brewing will be ableneighborhood. The information you to use the app to ask for help. PhillySteven Pickensshare is confidential.Truce has trained mediators who canPhilly Truce Presidenthelp people settle their arguments This app should be used before an without violence, according to Stevenvolunteers who had gone throughemergency happens, Mr. Pickens says. Pickens, Philly Truce president. about 40 hours of training about howFor an emergency, he says you should Mr. Pickens has lived in Philadelphiato resolve conflicts. call 911. all his life. He and a high school friend,Community members having aBy Yadrien Cardona- Mazzie Casher, started Philly Trucedisagreement would be able to call Martinez, Oneidalynnin late 2020 because they wanted toto get help before it gets violent, Ortega, Aleenado something to stop violence. AboutMr. Pickens says. Then we decided Rodriguez, and500 people were murdered in the cityinstead of a phone number, we would Christopher Matir that year. use an app for texting because it's William Cramp Fit Flyer We couldnt just sit by and watchmore popular.the news, says Mr. Pickens, who hasThe app went live in 2022, and about worked as an emergency medical200 people used it during the next technician and firefighter for 21 yearsyear and a half, says Mr. Casher, the in Philadelphia. He and Mr. Casher,executive director of Philly Truce. who has a career in communications,People wanted to know what to do volunteer for Philly Truce. about an unsafe situation they were They started their organizationin or how to handle a problem with a by setting up a phone hotline.Theneighbor. Philly Truce helped almost people staffing the hotline werehalf of those 200 people to avoid aPage 8 photo by Ezra Dolin, Educare School, Montreal, Canada | illustration by Allison Mark, 5th grade, East Norriton Bulldog Bulletin 8B Y K I D S , F O R K I D S | S p r i n g 2 0 2 4"