White House Gun Violence Program with Charity Ends

because it was small Washington Celebrations Go — Two Senior Advisors to the Biden Administration Gathered Nearby with Program Participants White House It was held on a Thursday afternoon in December to mark the closure of a little-known initiative with a budget of less than $8 million.

But the impact of The Community Violence Intervention Collaborative (CVIC) could be greater, both in the fight to slow the spread of gun violence and in the way philanthropy and government work together. The Biden administration used her CVIC to provide public funding to 50 grassroots organizations to combat gun violence. These organizations are usually too small to receive direct federal funding. I also received 18 months of training and other support to prepare me to receive more funding.

While some delegates applauded the effort, others argued that the president could have been more supportive.

Nancy Fishman, director of the Schusterman Family Philanthropies, said there was momentum in the CVIC celebrations, and what she and other supporters hope is the beginning of a shift in the government’s approach to public safety. It is said that And that goes beyond the attendance of nonprofit leaders, whose workers often attended “a rare space where others are celebrated,” without recognition or compensation, she said. Said.

Daamin X Durden, Executive Director of the Newark Community Street Team, said, “It’s surreal to be together, to hear testimonies and travel experiences, to share that friendship and loyalty with each other.” .

In addition, each of the 50 community violence prevention organizations that attended the celebration in the office building opposite the White House received a final “mini grant” of $20,000. Attachment.

The nonprofit Hyphen has coordinated initiatives including peer exchange, training and mentorship offered by five national nonprofits.

Akela Sherrills, an advisor to the Hyphen initiative, believes more officials and communities understand that blocking violence is a tribute to policing rather than a strategy against police.

“I don’t think the police will be teachers, lawyers, therapists and counselors,” he said.

president Joe Biden The initiative was announced in June 2021, shortly after the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. Minneapolis police. During his second summer of the pandemic, hundreds were shot daily as the surge in gun-homicides that began in 2020 continued across the country.

As part of the administration’s response, Biden urged local governments to use the coronavirus relief fund to strengthen public safety through investments in police and community-based programs.

CVIC is another part of this public safety plan aimed at preparing grassroots groups to accept more public funding by strengthening infrastructure and sharing best practices for designing programs. It was one part.

“The theory of this collaborative change was to focus on the community groups that were most difficult to reach, doing incredible work locally, and had little support.” .

Decades of research have demonstrated that small groups of people in certain communities cause disproportionate amounts of gun violence and murder. Some violence disruption programs work outside the hospital, some offer police and carrot-and-stick approaches, and others offer cognitive-behavioral therapy and mentoring.

If people agree to participate, programs often provide financial assistance, such as food or rent payments, and link them to vocational training and other skills development. This is an intervention that reveals the close link between poverty and violence.

When measured in terms of funding provided to grassroots organizations, cooperatives have a mixed record. An academic analysis of Treasury Department data found that six participating cities had reported no plans to spend coronavirus relief funds on ending violence as of June.

Community Violence Prevention Programs Could Be Funded By About $350 Billion In The U.S. Relief Plan, Which Can Be Used By States, Cities And Local Governments For A Wide Range Of Programs, And An Additional $120 Billion In Aid To Schools .

Alex Johnson of the California Wellness Foundation, which funded early violence prevention models in the 1990s, said many officials who control local budgets still don’t understand the value of this approach.

Four cities, including Newark, and several grassroots organizations recently won grants from the Department of Justice.

Amanda Kass of DePaul University and Philip Rocco of Marquette University are researching the use of coronavirus relief funds with support from the Joyce Foundation. They warn that many factors make it difficult to track spending. Especially since the local government has until 2026 to finalize the plan.

So far, Kass and Rocco found that participating cities have allocated $71.7 million for violence prevention programs. That’s less than 1% of his $7.8 billion in available coronavirus relief funds. Their study excluded the participating counties of Washington, DC and Rapid City, South Dakota.

Some CVIC participants said they expected more funding to come through the initiative. Duphan Kennedy, who heads the Force Detroit’s anti-violence campaign, felt Biden was unfaithful in his support.

“It may be a topic for him. It may be a campaign, but for us it’s a brother, a son, a daughter, a baby,” he said. “People are really dying here.” increase.”

This summer, Reverend Mike McBride, leader of Live Free USA, a nonprofit that has advocated for an end to violence for 20 years, invited Kennedy and others to a signing ceremony at the White House. He enacted the “red flags” law and included $250 million in funding for violent interference. The U.S. Secret Service turned Kennedy back at the gate along with several others for a manslaughter conviction. A U.S. Secret Service spokesperson said Kennedy and others “failed to meet federal security entry requirements,” and said the decision was not made by the White House.

“My problem with that is, how can you admit us and say we’re responsible enough to curb the violence, but allow our record to stand on the lawn in front of you?” Are you there?” Kennedy said.

Kennedy doesn’t want an apology, but instead a path to redemption for those like him who saved lives in their communities and made amends to the loved ones of those who hurt or killed them.

Hyphen president Archana Sagar said the December White House rally proved there was no gap between the administration’s words and actions, and said the initiative would result in increased funding for the cessation of violence. He said he expects

Biden’s senior adviser, Julie Rodriguez, who has backed the collaboration, was not available for an interview or responded to a request for comment.

Nina Levoya, who leads the Ballmer Group’s Los Angeles operations, believes the White House has given a new level of credibility and legitimacy to violence prevention efforts. The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, along with the suffering and anger caused by the pandemic, has created a moment when both foundations and governments are more open to investing in stopping violence.

“It’s not that the work didn’t exist. It was in that moment that it changed.”

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