When Gina Spence sets her mind to something, it’s going to get done. And when she feels its a heaven-sent mandate, nothing will stop in her way.Since the passing of her son-in-law, James (Junior) Lawes last year, who was gunned down in a wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time situation, she has felt the call to take her life-long passion for reaching out to those in the street and in the prison to a new height.It all began when she sat in a side-room with her daughter and two other families, also with young men who had been shot, at the hospital waiting for news.Unfortunately, little information was passed on to the families by medical staff, and even the police were just so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the shootings, that they, also, could not offer the assistance required. On top of that, which served partly as a storage area and partly as a staff lounge, had nothing of encouragement in it, and even had a couple of violent DVDs sitting in a cabinet.Ms Spence was no stranger to counselling the family of victims of violence, but she had never been the victim, and immediately, she started to notice things and file them away in the back of her mind. Big things, like the lack of communication, to little things, like there not being enough wall outlets for people to charge their draining cell phone batteries. With her experiences in the community and on the senate floor, coupled with a new-found desire to help make change, it was not long before Gina, was called on to share with a joint committee to find answers.Her proposal included a call for a National Day of Healing, sanctioned and lead by the Premier, and for leaders to better support families affected by violence in a hands-on fashion. She also called for a system to track and support the children of both victims and perpetrators left behind and the passing of an act to strengthen families.Her charity, Gina Spence Productions in Christ, has also worked closely with MP Zane DeSilva and the hospital to find a new room for families waiting, which was opened earlier this year, and plans to equip it with the things they need, including a book, right by the telephone, filled with all the resources you might need, including lawyers, counsellors, pastors and more. The group also created a wall of hope, which features the steps of dealing through crisis.The charity’s next big step is a two-day training workshop, open to all, for anyone interested in learning the basics of helping a person in crisis.As the flyer reads: “If you are a parent, coach, community worker, member of clergy, counsellor or work in the helping profession and want to be empowered to assist individuals in crisis, this workshop is for you!“With the increase of gun violence and antisocial behaviour in our community and its devastating impact on our children, families and community, this programme is designed to teach participants the fundamentals of and a specific protocol for individual crisis intervention.”Taught by Doris Decosta, a certified trainer with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, the workshop will run on Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18, from 8.30am to 4.30pm at Charities House in Paget. The organisation is also working with a committee of profesional, corporate, church and community-based organistions.The sessions will include individual and group exercises, crisis communication techniques, common problems, psychological reactions and models for counselling. Cost for the two-day workshop is $100 and includes all materials.Ms Spence warns that spaces are limited, and suggests interested persons register as soon as possible by contacting her at 333-4292, or by email at gina[AT]pride.prevention.bm or spencegina[AT]yahoo.com.