ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When times are tough, many people faithful things they turn to. It could be a friend, sermon, or a song, just to name a few. 

For singer, songwriter Tanya LaReese it's a song she wrote years ago called God Give Us Peace. 

“I wrote this song 13 years ago, and at the time I was struggling with some tragedies that had happened in my life," said LaReese. "The year after I got married my husband was shot by four teenage boys.”

Her husband survived, but it was a year she will never forget. 2020 is a year she knows will also be unforgettable for many reasons. 

“This has been a difficult year for everybody, with the racial injustice, the Covid, there are a lot of people out there that are homeless, unemployed," said LaReese. 

The song goes into many of those issues. In fact, many of the actors have first had experience with their role, like Dontrail Jackson. 

“I was a drug dealer,"said Jackson. “It’s a role that I played which I knew far too well, but hopefully things change.” 

Tamika Samuel played a homeless woman, but she actually has experience with gun violence. 

"I lost my son three years ago to gun violence," said Samuel. 

The song, God Give Us Peace, is about about finding peace. LaReese hoping it would help people this year, and for the actors it did. 

”It’s the first step of getting things right, it’s a symbol of hope," said Jackson. “Somebody is actually talking about it, someone is actually seeing the problems that is in the neighborhoods, that is their own black communities, and trying to actually make a stand for it.” 

“With the coronavirus, and the gun violence that is still going on with our young people, and people just so chaotic, and the election and all these things that are going on… you know, this song was right on time," said Samuel. "I am just glad that I know God, and I am glad that I got the opportunity to be able to hear this song and play a part in it.” 

"Bad times don’t last forever," said LaReese. “I hope it gives us peace, I hope it helps all of us come together, and help make a change. This stuff has to stop, the gun violence, all these senseless murders, ya know we have to come together as a community, and help make a change.”