Our Founder

Ruth Rollins is a domestic violence advocate and community leader. She is a co-founder for Operation LIPSTICK (Ladies Involved in Putting a Stop to Inner-City Killing) and is nationally recognized as a leader in addressing gun violence and community violence. 

Ruth's personal and professional experience, her spiritual beliefs, and her deep connections in the community make her a powerful force for peace. She is committed to using her expertise in service to help mothers heal and ensure that no families have to suffer in silence. Through the We Are Better Together Warren Daniel Hairston Project, Ruth and courageous mothers like her are working to end cycles of violence in our community.

Our story

We Are Better Together, Warren Daniel Hairston Project was founded by Ruth Rollins in 2017, after the murder of her son, Danny Hairston, and the incarceration of her second son. Although there were services available for homicide victim families (survivors), they weren’t any available to mothers who have lost loved ones to incarceration.

Ruth experienced the grief, shame, stigma of losing a child, and being a parent of children causing disorder in the community. She realized that addressing the trauma of her past is essential to the healing process.

Ruth found her voice and founded The We Are Better Together, Warren Daniel Hairston Project to honor her son's legacy and engage and empower mothers on both sides of gun violence in the peacemaking process. We Are Better Together, aims to bring together families on both sides of homicide and incarceration to foster healing and unity in the community.