06/06/2026
Wear orange
How has gun violence impacted your life?
Gun violence changed my life forever when my daughter, Juanita Lolesio, life was taken by a drive by shooting in 2018. Losing a child is a pain that never fully leaves you. It changed the way I see the world, the way I parent, the way I love, and the way I move through each day. There is an empty space in our family that can never be filled. But through that pain, I found purpose. I refuse to let my daughter’s name be remembered only by how she died. I speak her name because she mattered, she was loved deeply, and her life had value. Gun violence does not just take one person it impacts families, children, communities, and generations.
Why do you Wear Orange?
I Wear Orange for my daughter Juanita Lolesio and for every family carrying the unbearable pain of losing someone to gun violence. I wear orange to honor lives stolen too soon and to stand with survivors who wake up every day choosing to keep going despite the grief. Orange is more than a color to me it is love, remembrance, awareness, and action. It is a way of saying that our loved ones will not be forgotten and that we will continue fighting for safer communities.
How do you remain hopeful in the fight against gun violence?
I remain hopeful because I see people coming together to create change. I see mothers, fathers, survivors, advocates, and young people using their voices to protect others. Even in my darkest moments, I believe God gave me purpose through my pain. Every conversation, every community event, every child reached, and every life touched reminds me that change is possible. Hope for me is continuing to stand up, continuing to speak my daughter’s name, and believing that one day fewer families will have to experience this heartbreak.
What do you hope people will do to engage in the fight against gun violence, after Wear Orange?
I hope people continue the work after Wear Orange ends. Don’t let it be just one weekend or one social media post. Have the hard conversations. Support families impacted by violence. Mentor youth. Advocate for safer communities and responsible gun laws. Show up for organizations doing the work every day. Most importantly, lead with compassion instead of judgment. Real change happens when communities come together and decide that enough is enough. I want people to remember that behind every statistic is a real person, a real family, and a story that deserves to be heard.
How has gun violence impacted your life?
Gun violence changed my life forever when my daughter, Juanita Lolesio, life was taken by a drive by shooting in 2018. Losing a child is a pain that never fully leaves you. It changed the way I see the world, the way I parent, the way I love, and the way I move through each day. There is an empty space in our family that can never be filled. But through that pain, I found purpose. I refuse to let my daughter’s name be remembered only by how she died. I speak her name because she mattered, she was loved deeply, and her life had value. Gun violence does not just take one person it impacts families, children, communities, and generations.
Why do you Wear Orange?
I Wear Orange for my daughter Juanita Lolesio and for every family carrying the unbearable pain of losing someone to gun violence. I wear orange to honor lives stolen too soon and to stand with survivors who wake up every day choosing to keep going despite the grief. Orange is more than a color to me it is love, remembrance, awareness, and action. It is a way of saying that our loved ones will not be forgotten and that we will continue fighting for safer communities.
How do you remain hopeful in the fight against gun violence?
I remain hopeful because I see people coming together to create change. I see mothers, fathers, survivors, advocates, and young people using their voices to protect others. Even in my darkest moments, I believe God gave me purpose through my pain. Every conversation, every community event, every child reached, and every life touched reminds me that change is possible. Hope for me is continuing to stand up, continuing to speak my daughter’s name, and believing that one day fewer families will have to experience this heartbreak.
What do you hope people will do to engage in the fight against gun violence, after Wear Orange?
I hope people continue the work after Wear Orange ends. Don’t let it be just one weekend or one social media post. Have the hard conversations. Support families impacted by violence. Mentor youth. Advocate for safer communities and responsible gun laws. Show up for organizations doing the work every day. Most importantly, lead with compassion instead of judgment. Real change happens when communities come together and decide that enough is enough. I want people to remember that behind every statistic is a real person, a real family, and a story that deserves to be heard
