In a display of things that do not typically happen in a church, a group of kids learned how to load and unload a semi-automatic handgun recently at an Oregon community church in North Bend.
The kids were being taught by Derek LeBlanc, the founder and lead instructor for Kids S.A.F.E., Safety and Firearms Education. LeBlanc travels around Oregon teaching kids as well as proper gun safety and what to do if they come across a gun.
“Parents are realizing that even if they don’t have guns in the home, their kids could have an accident in someone else’s (home),” LeBlanc told the World. “That’s why I am trying to make it palatable for everyone because I don’t want people to not want to come just because they don’t have firearms.”
Many of the kids were holding a real gun for the first time. LeBlanc says he refuses to engage in political dialogue. Instead, his focus is purely on making sure that kids are safe around firearms.
For more information, to make a donation, or for a schedule of upcoming classes, check out www.kidssafefoundation.org or call 541-731-7200. You can also email Kids S.A.F.E. at kidssafefoundation@gmail.com if you’re in Oregon and would like LeBlanc to provide a training event near you.
Image courtesy of kidssafefoundation.org. The image show children after receiving their “safety training certification” at a Cabelas.
