Three young men facing insurmountable odds. Living in one of the nation's most segregated cities. And surviving in a neighborhood infected with guns and violence. One misguided decision leads to crime, jail time...and too often death. The easy path? Give up and become a statistic. Their path? Take the second chance. Turn their lives around. Make a positive change. Become a Rebel for Life.

Bad influences and wrong decisions landed Job in prison for armed robbery when he was 17. In 2002, with the help of Running Rebels he reset his sights on a lifelong passion -- music. Now he mentors at-risk youth and is making a positive impact in his role managing the Running Rebels recording studio.

Shot in a drive-by when he was only 5 years old, Dae has experienced violence his entire life.  At age 11, his cousin was killed in a shooting. And at 16 he was charged with possession of a deadly weapon. After five years with Running Rebels, he’s doing something to change the world.

By age 15 Anthony was selling drugs. Then at 16, he was caught committing armed robbery. Running Rebels and Clifton was there to help him get back on track and rethink his future. Now he  plans to graduate from Tuskegee University in 2013 and return to Running Rebels and mentor other at-risk kids.

Gun violence is destroying milwaukee's youth

If you're a 15-24 year old male living in Milwaukee, watch your back. If you have sons, brothers, friends or loved ones that age, be scared. If you live in, work in or care at all about this great city, listen up. Homicide is the leading cause of death for these young men. Not automobile accidents. Murder. Nearly 80 percent of those deaths are gun related. But it's not just the fatal shootings.

For a lot of our youth, gun violence is commonplace. Where a good day is one without hearing gunshots.  After a while, and far too often  many lose sight of the alternatives. Sadly, one in five gun crimes now involve juvenile offenders.

Recognize the problem Milwaukee. Kids in their prime are being destroyed by gun violence. As a community we can stop a speeding bullet.

Running Rebels is a beacon of hope

More than a community organization, Running Rebels has been a beacon of hope for Milwaukee's at-risk youth since 1980. They run both prevention and intervention programs that help reduce violence, save taxpayer dollars and transform kids into young adults with solid core values. 

Intervention programs include their court-ordered Intensive Monitoring Program (IMP) and the Violence Free Zone Program (VFZ) which takes the Running Rebels philosophy into twelve of Milwaukee's most at-risk high schools and middle schools.  In addition, Running Rebels has over a dozen prevention programs that are tailored around the passions of youth including Running Rebels Entertainment Group which has a recording studio, video production and editing facilities, Basketball, Entrepreneurship, Job Preparation, The Lady Rebels program and more.

You can stop a speeding bullet. Here's how.

Start by showing Milwaukee's youth that someone still cares. That their lives aren't disposable. And positive influences do exist.

Individuals can join a block watch program. Volunteer time. Mentor a youth. Or make a donation.  If you're a company, hire someone looking for a second chance.  Start a youth internship program. Or make a corporate contribution. 

It's time to change the cycle of violence. With support from the community we can make Milwaukee a safer place.