FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –FLINT, MI —August 24, 2026– Two years after an experience with gun violence changed the way she thought about safety in her community, Powers Catholic High School senior Isabella “Bella” White is turning that experience into action.
White, founder of the Flint-based Assist Foundation, has launched “Make Safety Free,” a statewide petition calling on Michigan lawmakers to create a 100% refundable state income tax credit for the purchase of eligible handgun safes, lock boxes and other secure firearm-storage devices.
The petition proposes a dollar-for-dollar credit up to a household cap, suggesting a range of $300 to $500, with the goal of eliminating cost as a barrier for Michigan families seeking more secure firearm-storage options. White’s advocacy began after she witnessed gun violence firsthand during her sophomore year. On August 14, 2024, White witnessed a shooting near Powers Catholic High School. Police later described the incident as a domestic shooting involving a teenager and his father. Rather than allowing that experience to simply become something she tried to forget, White began asking what role a young person could play in preventing future tragedies.
“What happened two years ago could have just been something scary that I carried with me. I wanted to find a way to turn a traumatic experience into a positive outcome. If this mission succeeds in helping make even one home safer, that matters to me.”
That question eventually became the Assist Foundation, a youth-led initiative focused on turning pain into purpose through education, prevention, practical safety tools and community action. The Foundation has set an initial goal of placing gun locks and safes in 1,000 Flint homes at no cost to participating families, with a fundraising goal of $25,000. White is now taking that conversation beyond Flint.
Michigan’s secure storage law, which took effect in February 2024, requires firearms to be unloaded and secured with a locking device or stored in a locked container when it is reasonably known that a minor is likely to be present. Michigan has also invested in distributing free cable-style gun locks statewide. White’s petition asks policymakers to take the next step by helping families afford more substantial secure-storage devices such as safes and lock boxes.
“This is not about blaming youth or their parents or pretending there is one answer to gun violence,” White said. “It’s about looking at what we can actually do to make our communities safer. If cost is preventing a family from accessing the secure storage option that works best for their home, that’s a barrier we should be willing to address. I believe that prevention can begin with practical steps that help families protect one another.”
A Local Mission With Statewide Relevance
The initiative arrives at an especially painful moment for communities across Flint, Genesee County and Michigan. The timing of the Assist Foundation’s launch was not planned around recent events. Yet the violence of the past several days has reinforced the urgency of conversations about prevention, safe firearm storage and protecting young people.
Between August 8 and August 17, at least six people were killed in reported shootings in Flint and neighboring Genesee Township. Among them were two Flint teenagers, ages 16 and 17, who were fatally shot after a fight broke out during a large gathering on August 10. Other incidents during the period included a deadly shooting in downtown Flint on August 8; a family-related shooting that killed a 59-year-old Flint man on August 12; an early-morning shooting on Edmund Street on August 13 that left one man dead and another wounded; and a late-night drive-by shooting in Genesee Township that killed a 21-year-old man and wounded a 27-year-old man. In another drive-by shooting, a bullet entered a Flint home and grazed an adult resident who police said was not the intended target.
The concern extends well beyond Flint and Genesee County. On August 14, Michigan was shaken by a series of shootings across multiple locations in Missaukee County. Five victims were killed, including a 16-year-old boy, while a 13-year-old girl was critically wounded and survived. The suspected shooter was also later found dead.
For White, the recent violence is not the reason for launching the initiative, the work began long before these incidents, but it is a painful reminder of why she believes communities must continue looking for practical opportunities to prevent firearm injuries and deaths before they occur.
“I wish the timing of this initiative didn’t feel as relevant as it does right now. But this work actually started for me two years ago. I don’t have all the answers, and I’m not trying to suggest that I do. I just believe that when something affects your community, you can either decide the problem is too big or find one place where you can help. Safe storage is one place where I believe we can make a difference.”
White is asking community members across Flint, Genesee County and Michigan to help build momentum around the initiative by signing and sharing the Make Safety Free petition. To sign the petition directly, visit the link to the form here.
“We talk a lot about youth violence, but I think we also need to talk about how gun violence is affecting young people. They’re losing friends, classmates and family members, and those experiences can stay with them, said White. “I want this work to focus on protecting young people and giving families one more tool to keep them safe.”
About the Assist Foundation
The Assist Foundation is a Flint-based initiative founded by Powers Catholic High School senior Isabella White to turn pain into purpose by educating, supporting and mobilizing people to stand against gun violence and protect their communities. Its work focuses on prevention, community engagement and expanding access to practical firearm-safety tools. The Foundation’s current goal is to place gun locks and safes in 1,000 Flint homes. For more information, to support the initiative or to sign the petition, visit AssistFoundation.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Jordan E. Brown
SIPI, Inc, Vice President
810-240-4804
jordan@sipi-inc.com
|
|
|
|
