On the news, you often hear about the PIV Gang - short for Peace in the Village. And while the name may not match the violence that is associated with the gang, on Sunday we saw prominent names linked to this gang trying to change that image. The PIV Principals were out on the streets feeding the homeless. It's not the kind of Sunday dinner we usually hear about so we stopped in for lunch:...
Jules Vasquez reporting
Seeing these young men feeding the homeless, you might think they are with some church group out on a Sunday School lunch date with the least of their brothers.
But these aren't choirboys, they're what would be called, "gangsters" from PIV. And they're led by Brandon Battery Smith, the Boss of PIV who we saw handling the needy with compassion:
Brandon Battery Smith, Feeding the homeless
"I just di try something different eena life many days I pass out ya and see they ya people hungry and I just decided to do this."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Now you will have people seh you da "bad man" and like weh kinda role you di try play? I noh di try play no kinda role, I hjust di try do something that's all."
Brandon Battery Smith, Feeding the homeless
"You have to try change eena life. I done change my life and regardless of what they say, I know who me. And whosoever know me wah know weh I good for. Back then da di past. Mek we try move forward."
And moving forward for Battery means trying to make this a regular effort:
"Archangel" - Homeless
"Remember I homeless but I'm not crazy. I want to know when you nice people wah come back again like this. Tomorrow, next day, or the next year?"
Brandon Battery Smith, Feeding the homeless
"I'd a wah continue do it because then they people deh out ya and nobody noh even know if they yah people eat. Just need some sponsors: this da fu we money."
Self sponsored, and the only thing he asks the police for is to have a patrol nearby as the PIV crew may be infringing on others' turf:
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Explain to me the effort it takes to just head out this side."
Brandon Battery Smith, Feeding the homeless
"Well, I just ask fi wa lee protection this noh got nothing to do with the hood. Everyone back there have the ability to work on their own. They are doing their thing. They could feed themselves. I am looking out for who can't feed themselves."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Now, another criticism: you're just trying to play a role to get some protection form the police mek them think you have chilled off other activities and then give you a break."
Brandon Battery Smith, Feeding the homeless
"That wrong. I da me. I won't tell me they can't come search me. Anytime they willing to come search they can come search."
But on this Sunday, the only searching was done by the homeless looking for that free plate of food, for a rare Sunday dinner, and the promise, perhaps, of another."
They served about 150 meals in different area where the homeless and needy congregate on the south and northsides. As noted in the story, they were shadowed by a police escort.
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