Shirley Conroy, Collingswood
Shirley Conroy, resident of Collingswood and Founder of the New Jersey chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, was widely known as a passionate gun violence prevention leader. Shirley dedicated her final years of life advocating for common-sense reforms to make our neighborhoods safer, and supporting the work of organizations addressing Camden’s gun violence problem. She fostered a partnership with the Center for Family Services’ Cure4Camden violence interruption program, helping spread awareness of their work across South Jersey. This resulted in a steady stream of in-kind donations and being selected as the service provider at Cooper Hospital’s new Violence Interruption Program. She also worked with Cure to set up a monthly partnership meeting to bring together like-minded community leaders and city police to encourage collaboration. In everything she did, she amplified the voices of those directly impacted by violence. In 2018, Shirley worked with a group of Urban Promise Academy students to craft narratives about their personal experiences, and when she was called to Trenton to testify about gun law reform, she brought four of these students with her, standing behind them while they shared their stories with NJ Assembly Majority Leader Greenwald. I can’t think of Shirley without thinking about Wear Orange Gun Violence Awareness Day; she saw this as her best opportunity to inspire people to join her in the fight for safer communities. Shirley rallied dozens of volunteers to hand out thousands of ribbons and secure proclamations from their town councils, and worked closely with the Commissioner Board of Camden County to organize an annual Wear Orange event. Shirley passed away in October, but her spirit and steadfast commitment to peace continues to drive the work of Moms Demand Action volunteers across New Jersey.
Learn More: Moms Demand Action
