We provide guitars and guitar lessons to foster children and at risk youth. We are not anti-gun. We are anti-gun violence. Guitars Not Guns, Inc. seeks to provide opportunities to less fortunate children in order that they may avoid gangs and violence. The program commences with eight weeks of guitar lessons. Guitars not Guns provides the students with the guitars and the guitar instruction free of charge. Upon successful completion of the course, the students are presented the guitars to keep as their own. Many continue on to higher levels of guitar instruction through the organization.

Description:
Guitars Not Guns, Inc. is a not for profit organization with chapters throughout the United States and in Canada. Complete information is available through the Guitars Not Guns website at www.guitarsnotguns.org. The Contra Costa Chapter serves all of Contra Costa County. Some of the organization's major sponsors are the Gibson Foundation, Dean Markley, Jim Dunlop, Red House, and Markstein Distributing.

History:
Guitars Not Guns, Inc. was founded by Ray Nelson, a musician who later in life with his wife Louise became foster parents. He found that guitar instruction permitted him to relate to the foster children, improved the children's behavior and attention to school, and provided the children with alternatives to gangs and violence, as it permitted a disciplined freedom of expression.

Contact people:

Randall Davis, Vice President, (phone), (email) Frank Darling, President, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (925) 933-3742

Address:

2211 Lake Villa Ct. Martinez, CA 94553 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.guitarsnotguns.org