SURVIVORS LEAD ACTION FUND offers leadership training for trauma survivors interested in running for public office with a focus on electing candidates who have bold ideas about how to reduce violence in our communities. We believe that reform will only be achieved when we have a representative government that is personally invested in reducing gun violence.
Janice Hobbs, Board of Directors, Survivors Lead ACTION
JANICE HOBBS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Janice grew up with neglect and emotional abuse. She is also a survivor of rape and gun violence. Shortly before turning twenty, Janice was held at gunpoint by the abusive husband of a friend who was trying to coerce her to give him information on his wife’s plans.
Janice got involved in gun violence prevention in spring 2014, and has long believed that the intersection of racism, systemic inequality and poverty, and domestic violence are major factors that must be addressed to deal with gun violence.
Janice has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology, and minored in Women’s and Gender Studies, is a long-time LGBTQIA advocate, and is passionate about ending oppression of all kinds.
Although not a gun owner, Janice is a veteran, who was trained to shoot M-16s, and in years past also enjoyed target shooting. Janice has two adult children, both of whom are in their thirties, and currently resides in Nebraska.
Heather Adams, Board of Directors, Survivors Lead ACTION
HEATHER ADAMS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Heather is a youth mentor, community organizer, and gun violence survivor. She has spent the last 25 years working as a memory care specialist and caregiver to the elderly. She has served in many voluntary roles for community organizations including food banks, community gardens, and clothing closets. She is also the founder of Youth Pursuit of Tomorrow, a community based, student led gun violence prevention and peer support organization.
Heather is a survivor of 2 mass shootings. The first happened at Northern Illinois University in February of 2008. Most recently, her son survived a school shooting at Marshall County High School in Kentucky in January 2018.
Nearly a decade and 500 miles separate the two tragedies, but they have galvanized her resolve to be a passionate advocate not only for gun control, but also for equitable government policies that seek to address the scarcity and systemic inequality that contribute to gun violence.
Having lived in two very different communities that have experienced the trauma of a mass shooting, she understands the difference in gun culture between urban and rural communities. This drives her to bridge the gap between responsible gun owners and gun control advocates.