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Caring about fellow human beings is what compassion is all about. Taking positive action towards making lives better, safer, and working with communities is what the Guardian Angels are all about!

“When you’re a Guardian Angel, you come across all types of people, often during the worst time of their lives: rapes, muggings, shootings, you name it. All types of people and every type of situation. But you learn how to comfort them, you learn how to say it’s going to be ok. Being an Angel makes you a better person, it opens you up to new ideas. When you talk with people about their problems, you’ll gain a greater awareness about the local communities and the high crime areas. And the more we know, the better we can help, and the better a community will respond.”

Marcus “Strider” Dent is the Commander of the Baltimore Chapter of the Guardian Angels and the guest of the hour on Shattered Lives Radio. Listeners will learn not only how Marcus became a Guardian Angel, but exactly what impact the organization is making through their work around the country.

Working in some of the nation’s toughest neighborhoods, Marcus and the Baltimore chapter have participated in several community action events including C.O.P. Walk (Citizens on Patrol) whichgives residents a chance to come together with community leaders and government officials.

Another ongoing event the Guardian Angels are a part of is Honk 4 the Missing which, again, brings the communities and leaders out to bring awareness to missing persons. Along with the missing persons organization, Peas in Their Pods, they are working towards making Honk 4 the Missing a national event.

Marcus “Strider” Dent says,

“The hardest part is going to be reaching the kids, diffusing the gang growth. That’s the main thing. We can patrol and do whatever, but to change the mindset of the drug dealers, the runners, the kids being recruited into the gangs, that’s the hard part. We’ll be able to knock down a lot of those walls working with the churches, the schools, and the community. We can knock down those walls. But we have to build a positive path for the kids to follow. It’s not going to happen overnight, but we can do it.

“Our team can help pull communities together to let them see what we already have and what we still need. Then we go from there. And as Guardian Angels, we always do what we can, where we can to give back. When we get involved and involve the community, the crime rate is going to drop. Drugs, gangs, shootings. It’s going to drop. And we’re here to help communities make that happen.”

In 2009, Strider was awarded the honor of Chapter Commander of the Year by Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels.

Shattered Lives: Guardian Angels Making an Impact