A Westchester nonprofit held an annual walk on Wednesday in Mount Vernon to raise awareness about gun violence.

The Power of Peace 5K Run and Walk Against Gun Violence was held at Memorial Field.

It was hosted for the third year by the Youth Shelter Program of Westchester.

The event brought together participants from the shelter program, police officers, residents and the mayor of Mount Vernon.

The various partnerships supported the nonprofit's goal of creating unity within the community, according to Jordan Cormier, the director of programming for the shelter program.

"When the community is united, we're able to understand one another, we're able to set aside differences to become a better collective," Cormier said. If we don't set aside our differences, then, we then perpetuate a hard existence for each other."

Several of the walkers, including Vincent Jackson, told News 12 that they have personally been impacted by gun violence.

"I spent over 15 years in jail for guns," Jackson said. "When I was away, my little cousin got killed out here in Mount Vernon from gun violence."

Now that he's no longer incarcerated, Jackson said he spends his days dedicated to encouraging people to put the guns down.