What

RAWtools is a gun violence prevention organization with a mission to “disarm hearts, forge peace, and cultivate justice.” In the spirit of turning swords into plowshares we turn guns into garden tools and connect people to nonviolent conflict resolution and prevention skills. We partner with other organizations working at the intersections of gun violence that include: suicide, domestic violence, homicide, mass shooting, kids.

Why

Gun violence takes over 110 lives every day in America and one person every three days in El Paso County. Some people say its a gun problem and some people say its a “heart” problem-we believe its both. Transforming guns into garden tools engages both the access to lethal means and the lack of access to resources that help us with personal and interpersonal conflict resolutions.

Needs

A physical space that includes space for blacksmithing, office, and community meeting space for conflict resolution and training.
Blacksmithing volunteers
Gun donations

Did You Know

A gun in the home is three times more likely to be used against you or a loved and five times more likely to be used against women than against an intruder.

“I'm so glad an organization like RAWtools exists that allowed me to safely dispose of my spouse's firearms after he passed away. RAWtools also made items from the disabled firearms that were meaningful to my family, at no cost to us.” — Widow, gun donor in 2020