Latino Advocacy Taskforce celebrates 1st anniversary with gathering, 13 killed since its creation

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - The Memorial Day holiday takes on new meaning this year, as the Latino Advocacy Taskforce holds its first ever Day of Remembrance.

Since the taskforce got its official start one year ago, 13 Latinos have been killed in Kansas City.

The group’s founders say one death is too many. So, members continue to work to support the family members left behind.

Andrea Garcia has seen this effort first hand. She lost her big brother last August. Garcia explained the pain, “We live with this for the rest of our lives."

John Paul Senior was gunned down in what Garcia describes as a senseless crime.

She said, “You're taking somebody's father, somebody's best friend, my big brother, my hero.”

Saturday, she found comfort in a sea of people whose hearts were also hurting. Garcia asked, “If we're not here to uplift one another, than who is?"

The Day of Remembrance included prayers and praises but most of all, it included a chance to feel supported.

Joe Arce is a co-founder of the Latino Advocacy Taskforce. He said, “They are surrounded with people who understand them."

Arce knows their pain first hand. He explained on Sunday that he lost his nephew to violence.

His group combats violence by offering a hand to the victim's families sometimes less than 24 hours after their loved one was killed.

Arce said, “They were all suffering in silence during that period of time. And they were just looking for some social services.”

He explained that the taskforce helps to bridge a language barrier often found in the Latino community.

In its second year of existence, the taskforce hopes to set up a grief support group that meets regularly.

Garcia says her family will face John Paul Senior’s shooter in court in 2012. However, like so many of the families who gathered Saturday, Garcia says she’ll always ask why.