Over 150 weapons were brought in by the Grocery Not weapons buyback program

Roanoke, Virginia – Turning your guns into meals. That’s the idea behind a gun buyback event in Roanoke.

“If it’s there, then it’s at risk,” Brenda Hale, President of Roanoke branch NAACP said.

A large crowd gathered early on Saturday morning for the fourth annual buyback event of Grocery Not Guns.

an initiative to remove guns from public spaces, spearheaded by the Roanoke Quaker meeting, the local police, and the Roanoke branch of the NAACP.

“Any unsupervised firearm that someone is not actively carrying or anything like that could be an opportunity for someone taking it ultimately, they could end up on the street,” Ronnie Hodges, Supervisor for community engagement with RPD said.

It’s a safe method for gun owners to turn in their weapons for grocery store gift cards; you may receive up to $250 for each weapon you turn in.

“As long as we are able to get that removed from the home and make that home safe. That’s what’s important, and ultimately saving lives,” Hale said.

In the end, according to the organizers, it’s changing the community.

” If you have a gun in the home, you are at 2 times higher risk of homicide and 4 times higher risk of suicide,” Catherine Koebel with Groceries Not Guns said.

One couple used the buyback event as an easy way to help pay for some much-needed supplies because their guns were gathering dust.

“400 dollars, that’s going to help tremendously, it’s a month’s worth of groceries at least or more,” they said.

One of the gun surrenderees claimed she no longer needed the weapon but wanted to remain anonymous for security reasons.

“I have previously been in an abusive relationship, and I have had people who actively threatened my life physically on more than one occasion, but now I feel like I’m in a much safer place butted it felt good to surrender that and at least now nobody can steal it out of the house and use it elsewhere,” they said.

According to the organizers, they distributed 93 gun locks, gathered over 150 guns, and ran out of gift cards around 12:30 p.m.

Despite the fact that the event had to stop early due to a shortage of gift cards, those in line to turn up their firearms were still present, according to the organizers. They have reportedly had their contact information removed, and they will be first in line for the event the following year.