About

The Documentary

Walking Thru Bullets follows Jermaine, Curtis, Raheim and Daniel, clients in the innovative Healing Hurt People program, over a three-year period as they try to recover from their physical and emotional wounds. Social workers Tony and Dionne work tirelessly to connect them with needed services, support them during setbacks, and encourage each to reach for higher goals than they’ve ever imagined were possible. With ongoing access into the lives of each client over an extended period, the filmmakers are able to reveal the humanity and complexity of these young gun shot victims – who, as poor young males of color, are too often portrayed by the media as dangerous street thugs deserving of their fate. Each yearns for safety and a better life. Despite the many obstacles chronicled in the film, their odds are vastly improved due to the dedicated staff at Healing Hurt People.

The Program

Healing Hurt People (HHP) works with clients ages 8-30 who are seen in the emergency department for intentional injuries – gunshot, stab, or assault wounds. HHP was designed to address the needs—physical, emotional, and social—that victims of violence face after being released from the emergency department. Often, individuals who have been violently injured have reported that while in the emergency department, their thoughts are to either change their way of life or to retaliate. Most often these youth return, without any supports, to the hostile environment in which they were injured. Healing Hurt People uses a trauma-informed approach to capitalize on this potentially life-changing moment and address the needs of these youth.

To learn more about Healing Hurt People, visit www.nonviolenceandsocialjustice.org