Good morning, Highland Park Friends, The City's August Stop the Violence Newsletter is below. Please share it with the community. Thank you. Jay Gilmer, Esq. 412-522-7286 ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: City of Pittsburgh Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention <stoptheviolence@pittsburghpa.gov>To: "jaygilmer@verizon.net" <jaygilmer@verizon.net>Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at 09:31:10 AM EDTSubject: August Stop the Violence Newsletter | Public Safety Jobs Available, National Night Out Pictures, Citizens & Student Police Academies, Violence Prevention Partner Award #2, Resources, Facts & Stats, Safety Tips & More | | | | | | | | | | | | In This Issue: *Violence Prevention Partner Results* *National Night Out Pictures* *Citizens and Student Police Academy Registration* *9 Public Safety Jobs Available* | | | | | | | | | | August 30, 2023 | | | | | | | | | | | Stop the Violence Newsletter | | | | | | | | | | The City of Pittsburgh Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention exists to change the community narrative about violence and stop the spread of the disease of violence in the City. Table of Contents - Event Report: National Night Out - 2023 - Something You Can Do: 2023 Citizens Police Academy - Violence Prevention Partner Award-Zone 5: The Kingsley Association - Something You Can Do: 2023 Student Police Academy - City Solutions: 2022 Stop The Violence Community Investment Grants Program Results - City Solutions: Public Safety Jobs Available - City Solutions-City Wide: Safe Passages Project - City Solutions: To Prevent or Interrupt Violence, Contact REACH (watch the new video) - Solutions: Downtown After-School Youth Activities - Solutions-Zone 2: The Cellar Downtown - Solutions: Call 211 for Youth Diversion Services - City Solutions: Let Us Know Using StopTheViolence@PittsburghPA.Gov - Training: Community Violence Intervention-4 videos; Group Violence Intervention+, GVI Support & Outreach; Conflict Resolution Training and More - Facts and Stats: From July 2023 - Coming Events - Solutions: Hotlines Ready To Serve You - Tips for You, Public Safety Councils, SaferTogether Coordinators, Poll Responses & Previous Newsletters - Community Resources: 40 Resources Listed - Brochure: Domestic Violence Resource Guide (please print) - Brochure: You and the Police (please print) Please complete the 11 polls in this Newsletter (#11 is at the very end of the Newsletter) NOTE: This Newsletter is full of pictures. If you cannot see them, they may be blocked by your computer. You can unblock by clicking on a button that may be at the top or bottom of your computer screen. Please encourage the people in your networks to subscribe to the Newsletter. If anyone you forward the Newsletter to would unsubscribe, you will be unsubscribed as well (and would need to resubscribe to receive the Newsletter again). If you're interested in helping stop violence, please send us an email by clicking HERE. Sign up here to receive the monthly City of Pittsburgh Stop The Violence Newsletter | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Event Report: National Night Out -2023 The Value of Community - Over 40 Peaceful Celebrations! | | | | On Tuesday night August 1, 2023, thousands of Pittsburgh residents from 27 different city neighborhoods came together to celebrate National Night Out (NNO). Over 40 different events were held, bringing together residents and businesses with police, firefighters, EMS, Park Rangers and various members of the Department of Public Safety and the Mayor’s Office, all as a part of Mayor Gainey’s Pittsburgh Plan for Peace! | | | | | | | | | | | “Each year I look forward to the City of Pittsburgh National Night Out! It’s great to see the communities represent their area, meet fantastic people and showcase the beauty of their neighborhoods,” said Angela Brundage, the City’s Disruptive Properties Coordinator. “This year, I was able to visit multiple communities and it’s very impressive to meet so many phenomenal people. It’s really the people that make this city great!” | | | | | | | | | | | National Night Out activities ranged from roller skating to street chalk art, from face painting and bouncy houses to crafts and games. There was music provided by DJs and bands as well as performances by youth groups. And there was food…lots of food, from potluck dinners and homemade snacks and desserts; to hot dogs being grilled and hamburgers being flipped! And of course, there were even a couple of bar-b-que rib cookoffs! | | | | | | | | | | | | | Public Safety Department Executive Assistant Alisha West, who attended multiple events, emphasized that "engaging young people in positive interactions with law enforcement officers helps foster positive perceptions of the police from an early age, reducing potential biases and fears. It helps builds trust in communities and positive relationships where there may be tension or mistrust between law enforcement and residents. Open communication and friendly interactions during NNO can lead to improved relations between the police and the public." | | | | | | | | | | For Ian Reynolds, “one highlight of NNO was the event in Oakland that was hosted by Pitt and CMU. They had games, food, gifts and let youth tour all the vehicles they used. They also partnered with local businesses to provide food and activities. I like this because they used spaces that are in the community and even involved our Park Rangers, University Police and Zone 4 police.” | | | | | | | | | | | For Stop the Violence Coordinator Jay Gilmer, “I really liked the small event I was a part of in Lincoln Lemington. We just socialized on the porch! Everyone enjoyed visits by motorcycle police, a fire truck, and lots of police and firefighters throughout the evening.” | | | | | | | | | | | To culminate the events’ overall fun and festivities, the evening was highlighted by visitors form the various public safety bureaus including the various police divisions, fire, emergency medical services, the park rangers and department personnel! “I’m looking forward to visiting some different communities next year” said Brundage. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | In 2014, the City of Pittsburgh began encouraging community residents to organize National Night Out events. That year, only 14 events were registered. According to John Tokarski, the City’s NNO Coordinator, "it's exciting to see every year that more and more people and communities are excited in organizing NNO events and see the value and end result of growing relationships with our public safety bureaus." It is the City’s hope to have over 50 events registered for the celebration of next year’s National Night Out 2024!! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | And of course, nothing can better illustrate the fun and success of an evening of NNO more so than pictures from the various events. Start gathering your ideas for 2024 when NNO is on Tuesday August 6. For any additional information and/or questions, please contact: SaferTogether Coordinator John Tokarski, who also coordinates National Night Out at john.tokarski@pittsburghpa.gov or call 412-432-8674. | | | | | | Poll #1: Did you attend a National Night Out event this year? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | | | Poll 2: Did you see your neighborhood or anyone you know in the National Night Out pictures? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Something You Can Do: 2023 Citizens Police Academy Register NOW! | | | | By John Tokarski, program manager for the Citizens Police Academy With the month of September rolling along, the cooler temperatures and shorter days signal a return to the classroom for many! Nothing is truer than those interested in attending the Fall 2023 sessions of the Citizen and Student Police Academies, which are now taking registrations for their upcoming classes. Twice a year, for over the past 25 years, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has sponsored an opportunity for citizens from the greater Pittsburgh community to become more closely acquainted with the roles, training, and responsibilities of the bureau of police. The Pittsburgh Citizen Police Academy (CPA) brings the police and the community close together in a setting that offers a sample of police training to each participant. | | | | | | | | A scene from the mock-trial at the last Citizens Police Academy | | | | The CPA allows participants to experience various highlights of police training and are exposed to the many of the operations of the police bureau. Some of these classes traditionally include police accountability, SWAT and computer crimes and are held at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh in the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. You do not have to be a city resident to participate! Registered citizens can expect to receive 2.5 hours of training each Wednesday evening, from 6:30 PM until 8:30 PM, for 12 weeks. They will be taught the basics of criminal law, search and seizure, patrol tactics, the history of policing, police accountability among other subjects. They will learn about the processing of crimes, how police canines are used and are exposed to a variety of the bureau’s specialty units. Classes begin on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, with registration ending on Saturday, September 9, 2023. All interested persons applying for the CPA must complete the on-line application and background clearance form. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Violence Prevention Partner Award -Zone 5:The Kingsley Association Continuing to Recognize Outstanding Work! | | | | The City’s Violence Prevention Partner Award for August was presented to The Kingsley Association on August 8 in a room full of staff, board, community members, Public Safety Department staff members and twenty summer Team Lead program students. Remarks were made by Emily Embrey, Ian Reynolds, Commander Stephen Vinansky, Zinna Scott, Rev. Cornell Jones, Melvin Hubbard El, board member LaVerne Baker Hotep and others. | | | | | | | | In late 2022, The Kingsley Association received a City of Pittsburgh Community Investment Grant of just $15,000 to work with local coaches, teams and community involved mentors to provide post-season training sessions and health and wellness supports for youth, improve digital literacy, awareness of professional opportunities in tech, and engage in problem solving via technology, provide arts awareness experiences and host a cultural community event at the Kingsley Center in Larimer. Over the last 10 months, Kingsley programming supported by the City has served over 1,000 individuals of all ages. | | | | | | David A. Jones and Dexter Hairston | | | | | Alex Payton and Jay Gilmer | | | | In presenting the Award to Executive Director Dexter Hairston and Director of Operations and Technology Alex Payton, Assistant Public Safety Director David A. Jones remarked that “the Pittsburgh Plan for Peace emphasizes the importance of community partnerships. Those partnerships are critical in connecting resources to residents and in bringing hope to the people they touch. All this is necessary to break the cycle of violence.” | | | | | | | | The Kingsley Association has been an exemplary partner with the City and an outstanding advocate for its community. Events hosted at Kingsley have included a B-PEP Community Peace Summit, Melanin Mommies safety trainings, and Zone 5 Public Safety Council meetings. Kingsley’s partners have included The Village Collaborative, Urban Strategies (which provides social services at the Cornerstone development), East End Raiders youth football team, I Love Life, Larimer Consensus Group, Habitat for Humanity, Phase 4, Reach and Ozanam Basketball Camp. All these activities have collectively contributed to the reduction and prevention of violence, fostering a safer, more harmonious community environment. Staff and community members have observed changes in community interactions reflecting the positive impact of their work. "I was proud to witness The Kingsley Association receiving this award since they provide so much to their community," said Angela Brundage of the Public Safety Department. | | | | | | | | Left to right: Officer Jeffrey Crawford, Emily Embrey, Jay Gilmer, Dexter Hairston,Commander Stephen Vinansky, Melvin Hubbard El, and Sergeant Keith Myles | | | | Emily Embrey, SaferTogether Coordinator for Zones 1 and 5 stated that “the Kingsley Association is a wonderful community partner here in Zone 5. They host our monthly resident-lead Zone Council meeting among a variety of other programming for all ages and interests. It was really nice to get to honor them in person and share with some of their youth leaders why Kingsley is such a special place and what a positive, historic legacy they are joining in.” Pittsburgh’s Public Safety Department created the award and intends to present one each month. The award is granted to those who engage in work to reduce community violence, promote positive partnerships between organizations and have persevered through stressful community events. Jay Gilmer remarked that "it is important for us to publicly acknowledge the good work being done by so many groups in our city. The Kingsley Association is just one example. Hopefully this will inspire the future generations, like the young people at the Kingsley presentation." | | | | | | Poll #3: Are you familiar with the work of The Kingsley Association? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Something You Can Do: 2023 Student Police Academy Register NOW! | | | | By John Tokarski, program manager for the Student Police Academy For the past decade, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police has also offered an opportunity for high school students from the greater Pittsburgh community to learn more about police and the career of policing. The Pittsburgh Student Police Academy (SPA) provides a unique experience, free of charge for students in grades 9-12, to become familiar and meet the various police officers that serve them on a one-to-one basis. The SPA brings the police and students from various high school across Allegheny County, closer together in a setting that offers a sample of police training to each participant. The SPA allows high school students to experience numerous types of police training and are exposed to the various operations of the police bureau. You do not have to live in the city to participate! | | | | | | | | The spring 2023 Student Police Academy class at Police Headquarters | | | | All students will receive 1.5 hours of training each Thursday evening from 6:30 PM until 8 PM, which will include some delicious pizza to start the evening off with, for 10 weeks on the beautiful campus of Point Park University, in Downtown Pittsburgh. They will be taught the basics of criminal law, search and seizure, patrol tactics, the history of policing, police accountability and many other subjects. They will learn about the processing of crime scenes, how police canines are used and will be exposed to a variety of the specialty police units including the bomb squad and homicide investigations! Classes will begin on Thursday, October 5, 2023, with registration ending on Friday, September 29, 2023. All interested students interested in the SPA, must complete the on-line application for consideration. SEATS ARE LIMITED! APPLY TODAY!Apply today at: www.pittsburghpa.gov/publicsafety/cpa-spa For additional information and/or questions please contact: John Tokarski at john.tokarski@pittsburghpa.gov or call 412-432-8674. | | | | | | | | | | Poll #4: Do you know any students that might be interested in the Student Police Academy? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | City Solutions:2022 STOP The ViolenceCommunity Investment Grants Program Results They're getting it done! | | | | Community organizations received 2022 Stop The Violence Community Investment Grants in order to implement programming that would affect violence and/or remediate trauma caused by violence or place protective factors around vulnerable populations. Periodic reporting is required from each organization. Below are mid-year results highlights from a few community partners. More results will be in the next Stop the Violence Newsletter. | | | | | | | | | | | | Abiding Missions - Zone 3 - $8,000 Population Served (proposed/actual): 100/50 Ages 0-17: 35; ages 18-30: 5; ages 30+: 10 Violence Prevention Impact: The staff in our afterschool program report interrupting at least 10 instances of violence amongst the youth attending Pittsburgh Grandview during the walk to the building for our afterschool program. This presence our staff has established with the youth in our neighborhood has allowed us to break up verbal altercations along with times the altercations became physical. We have worked with the school to intervene as needed. During the course of the school year, we have reports of 2 of our program youth being victims of youth violence outside of our program, and 2 youth who were an alleged aggressor in a physical altercation. We do not have data to compare this to, but these instances appear lower compared the anecdotal evidence we have from the community. Specifics from our program were gathered in an end-of-the-year survey. 95% of youth reported feeling that Abiding Missions was a safe place. 83% of youth felt that their connection to the neighborhood has grown throughout the year, and 100% of our youth made positive relationships while in our program. These touchpoints that we made with our youth on a daily or weekly basis helped build lasting relationships that build up their confidence and ability to cope with the difficulties they experience. Impact Story: As we were designing our yearly afterschool t-shirts, one youth proposed the caption on the shirt to read "We have a duty to help our neighborhood". This speaks volumes to the sense of purpose our youth feel to those around them and their work as neighbor-makers. | | | | | | | | | | | | A’s Vision - Zone 3 - $10,000 Population Served (proposed/actual): 30/20 Ages 0-17: 12; ages 18-30: 8; ages 30+: 0 Violence Prevention Impact: These young adults receiving a driver's license opens up opportunities for them to get better paying jobs it also just simply gives them the chance to be independent and responsible. Being independent gives these young people the sense of responsibility in my opinion, and I feel this keeps them out of bad situations. Also, some youth who have been driving without a license and into negative things I believe we have made a huge impact on them just sharing our experiences and them getting their driver's license. Our financial groups were a success and the students were very interactive. I know they all left with more knowledge than they started with and that's the goal. These important life skills are preparing these young people to be successful and that in itself will help to prevent violence in the future. We also know the times these kids are spending with us are times they are not out running the streets. I know a lot of these young adults in the hilltop neighborhoods and some of the youth that has reached out to me caught me by surprise. These are young men who have been known to run the streets and just the fact they have reached out lets me know are program is reaching the ones who need it the most Impact Story: A young 19-year-old man who was driving illegally, not working and finding himself in all kinds of negative situations has completed the full program. He is now a licensed driver has a savings account at PNC bank and just recently reached out to use me for a reference for a new job and was hired! | | | | | | | | | | | | East End Cooperative Ministry - Zone 5 - $15,000 Population Served (proposed/actual): 1,000/2,870 Ages 0-17: 2583; ages 18-30: 287; ages 30+: 0 Violence Prevention Impact: Three hundred and eight elementary school students aged 6 to 11 and 317 middle/high school students aged 12 to 18 were surveyed after receiving in-school diversion programming. Middle/high school students held a collective 84.75 percent less favorable attitude toward violence. Elementary students held a 78.4 percent less favorable attitude toward violence. Toward the use of drugs and alcohol (ATOD), 75 percent of middle/high school students held a less favorable attitude, while 70.75 percent of elementary students held a less favorable attitude. All of these outcomes fall in line on the higher end of the results we expected from the project. Across the service area administrators have started seeing a decrease in combative attitudes and behaviors in the youth involved in our programming. Those who would not normally cross neighborhoods due to perceived turf rights are now finding it more comfortable to leave their neighborhoods and explore other parts of the town during meetings and evening and weekend activities. They have started to show interest in deeper discussions on the cycle of violence and how race plays a role in their personal and academic lives. Participants and parents/guardians shared that they saw improvement in their children’s lives. This has been seen especially in attitudes and behaviors. Families appreciate the support and services EECM Children and Youth staff provide. | | | | | | | | | | | | Melanin Mommies - Zone 5 - $10,000 Population Served (proposed/actual): 12/16 Ages 0-17:0; ages 18-30: 11; ages 30+: 5 Violence Prevention Impact: By allowing the mothers to explore the process of managing their grief it has allowed them to reexamine the effects violence has had on their grief and in their community. These mothers work through feelings of retaliation and anger. Upon graduating the program, the participants now have the tools and ability to positively impact their family dynamics by not allowing cycles of violence to perpetuate within their own family. Because of healing that takes place within the participants they have the ability to positively impact their families with tools they learn within therapy. Impact Story: A participant who lost their 18-year-old son from gun violence followed by losing their 10-year-old son by suicide due to the overwhelming grief from losing is brother. This participant started this program with a lot of Anger and hurt and the inability to correctly process their grief and has made much progress. Through the program they have been able to not only make positive strides in their grief process, but also have become a representative and speaker for the program. Their story of growth, overcoming, forgiveness and determination has been an inspiration to us all. | | | | | | | | | | | | Northside Partnership Project – Zone 1 - $15,000 Population Served (proposed/actual): 200/500 Ages 0-17: 100; ages 18-30: 170; ages 30+: 230 Violence Prevention Impact: The "See Something Say Something" program has had a tremendous impact on communities where residents see criminal/violent activities occurring in front of, or around their houses; it is reported by neighbors that when residents put the signs on their property the activities diminish and as days go on the negative activities are not visible. The actual outcome is that 500 signs have been distributed throughout the Northside. A large number of requests have been made by the community and as a result we have 1000 signs on order with 500 t-shirts with the "See Something Say Something" message displayed. As reported at our Safety Team Meetings and Community Council Meetings, awareness of See Something Say Something has impacted Northside Communities through conversations of neighbors' willingness to communicate with each other when undesirable activities are going on in their block. Impact Story: Residents are constantly calling and coming to our community center for signs to place in their yards and windows. Residents from the Marshall Shadeland community came the center to get signs because they see undesirable activity on their neighborhood block. | | | | | | | | | | | | The Brashear Association - Zone 3 - $25,000 Population Served (proposed/actual): 60/27 Ages 0-17: 12; ages 18-30: 8; ages 30+: 7 Violence Prevention Impact: The impact of this program on violence is that Brashear is better positioned to support parents with education and empowerment to become leaders in their own families and the community. In addition, parents are better prepared to assist their friends and neighbors with accessing resources and support when dealing with violence that is continuing to plague the South Pittsburgh neighborhoods and all over the City of Pittsburgh. Many thanks to the numerous collaborations with other STV grantees working together that would not have happened without the strong networking provided through the STV program. Impact Story: There are many young pre-teens and teens in our program that have lost 2 or 3 friends and they are younger than 15 years old. These are the parents that were our target audience. One parent lost her son to gun violence and was sharing with other parents some of the signs that her son was involved with the wrong crowd. After she finished sharing, other parents began to share what they are seeing and hearing from their children. Following the trauma sessions, parents began to share their own stories of trauma and growing up and that they had no idea that how they were raised impacted how they are raising their children. The education and awareness seemed to bring them comfort that they had the power to choose to do things differently and that seeking help to manage stress, make better decisions, hold their children accountable for their whereabouts, do well in school, and help them to get connected to boys and girls programs and when it's time helping them to get jobs to keep them busy, off the streets, and avoid trouble makes a big impact. The work that we are doing may not bring about quick solutions or impact violence by reducing the number of violent incidents right away, but this work is making an impact on every decision that parents make. Just them knowing that they are not alone in their situation has made a difference. | | | | | | | | | | | | Trade Institute of Pittsburgh - City-wide - $65,000 They train, equip, counsel and place anyone who wants to work and emphasize training for individuals who have or had challenges. Population Served (proposed/actual): 80/49 Ages 0-17: 0; 18-30: 30; ages 30+: 19 Actual Project Implemented: We have fulfilled the following activities: - Trained 49 people - Hired a Community Engagement Coordinator - Conducted a survey to determine the needs and interests of alumni for future engagement program - Developed an engagement program calendar - Created a quarterly data report for impact and any deficiencies - Held alumni workshops and events - Conducted ISPs and corresponding case management - Held bi-weekly drug & alcohol, anger management, financial literacy classes - Created an annual report on metrics and qualitative data (stories, testimonials, etc.) to share with stakeholders We have successfully launched our Alumni Program. We have had monthly workshops on business start-up and home buying. Our Community Engagement Coordinator Kenya Alford has also established an Alumni Council to assist in outreach events and to provide feedback to improve the program. Our job placement rate is hovering around 90%. We had a turnover in our Job Developer position, which accounts for this lag. We are still optimistic that we will reach 100% job placement by the end of this performance period. Our average starting wage is $19.30/hr. and our recidivism rate is 0%, which is unprecedented for our organization. Below is a video from their 10th anniversary celebration in May. Contact Kenya Alford at 412-243-2970 for more information and an interview. | | | | | | | | Click on the picture above to see the video from Trade Institute of Pittsburgh | | | | | | | | | | | | The entire list of 2022 grant recipients and funded programs has been posted on the Department of Public Safety's Violence Prevention website. To see it, just click HERE. If you would like contact information on any of the grantees, please contact the STOP the Violence Office. These grants are a component of the Pittsburgh Plan For Peace that will compliment the existing work being done by the City's Group Violence Intervention Support and Outreach efforts, including the REACH team. These violence prevention efforts are made possible by the City's STOP the Violence Trust Fund. | | | | | | Poll #5: Are these results encouraging to you? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | City Solutions:Public Safety Job Availablee Apply Now! The City of Pittsburgh is currently recruiting for several positions in the Public Safety Department. Please consider these opportunities: Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD):Program Manager: salary $78,712Case Manager: salary $59,065 NEW Safe Passages Project (see the story below):Safe Passages Program Coordinator: salary $55,000Safe Passages Program Manager: salary $74,795 Office of Community Services and Violence Prevention:SaferTogether Pittsburgh Project Coordinator: salary $64,251Violence Prevention Analyst: salary $69,811 Uniformed Services/First Responders:Park Ranger-part time: salary $15.45 per hourPolice Officer: salary $48,765School Crossing Guard: salary $87 to $90 per day Complete information on all of these positions can be found on the City of Pittsburgh website under Current Job Announcements. | | | | | | | | | | | | Poll #6: Do you know anyone who might be good for one of these Public Safety jobs? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | City Solutions-City Wide:Safe Passages Project Safe Passages is an exciting and effective program that was implemented during the last school year at Perry Traditional Academy and will now be spread to additional schools. It was directed by Taili Thompson, Director of Violence Prevention at Operation Better Block. Two City of Pittsburgh positions related to this project are currently available. Click on either picture to see a video about the Project. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Click on the picture for a video about some of the work of the REACH team | | | | City Solutions: To Prevent or Interrupt ViolenceContact REACH | | | | Direct pro-active outreach to the highest-risk individuals and families is a key component of Pittsburgh's violence prevention strategy. The Pittsburgh street outreach team is known as REACH. REACH workers are knowledgeable community members who interact with individuals of any age who have been impacted by violence or are at risk due to their circumstances or acquaintances. They are selected based on their individual experience, relationships and historical knowledge and are now embedded in communities across the City of Pittsburgh. REACH workers also have access to resources that might be needed by individuals or families to help prevent violence, so don't hesitate to contact REACH if you know someone or are someone at-risk and in need. | | | | | | | | | | 1-833-44REACHorreach@centerthatcares.org | | | | REACH is funded by the City of Pittsburgh through a contract with the Hill District's Center That Cares. REACH General Manager is The Reverend Glenn Grayson. Program Manager is Antoine Bailey and Supervisors are Vaughn Rivers (Zones 1 and 2), Terri Minor Spencer (Zones 3 and 6) and Ayo Young (Zones 4 and 5). If you become aware of a situation which could benefit from the presence of REACH workers OR if you know an individual who needs support, mentoring or resources to avoid trouble, please contact REACH at 1-833-44REACH. | | | | | | Poll #7: Have you noticed members of the Reach team in the community? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Solutions: Downtown After-School Youth Activities The list is on our website! | | | | If you have or know a child who could benefit from after school activities in Downtown Pittsburgh, please see the Current Downtown Youth Services Guide which is posted on the Public Safety-Violence Prevention website. You can access it HERE. There are lots of good programs ready to go! They include: - YouthPlaces-The Plug - The Club - Carnegie Library - 412 Youth Zone - Team 412 Boxing - J Miles Youth Engagement Center If you know of additional activities that you would like included in the Guide, please send the necessary information HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Solutions-Zone 2:The Cellar Downtown Open For YOU! The Cellar is an out-of-school time space for high school students that operates year round. It offers free snacks, video games, karaoke, a pool table, foosball, dart board, arts/crafts and more. | | | | | | | Since The Cellar opened in May 2023, over 80 students have visited and many have become regular attendees. Students come from City High, Urban Pathways, Passport Academy, Sci Tech, Oliver, Carrick, and more. For more information, contact The Cellar director, Joanne Galinowski, at jgalinowski@fpcp.org | | | | | | | | | | Solutions: Call 211 for YOUth Diversion Services To Divert Youth From the Criminal Justice System | | | | Caring Connections for YOUth is a community-led initiative developed by the Black Girls Equity Alliance (BGEA) that provides access to supports and services to ANY YOUTH, up to age 18, living in Allegheny County as a diversion from the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. | | | | The goal for Caring Connections for YOUth is to reduce youth violence and arrests by reducing the interactions that children have with police. Caring Connections for YOUth works with 211, so if a kid or a family in Allegheny County needs help for things like a conflict between a parent and child, truancy, fighting or even minor drug possession, all they have to do is call 211, press 3 and be connected with an operator instead of the cops. The program was developed based on data collected by Gwen's Girls. They looked at the numbers of juveniles who are arrested, cited or referred to juvenile court for minor offenses. They found that not knowing who to call for resources and support was one reason young people ended up in the system, when really they needed help. For a December 2022 story from KDKA-TV on Caring Connections for YOUth, please click on the picture of Dr. Kathi Elliott below. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | City Solutions: Let Us Know UsingStopTheViolence@PittsburghPA.Gov Are you aware of a NON-EMERGENCY situation that has the potential to turn violent but doesn’t yet need police attention? This could include a dispute, feud, insult, social media post, party, sporting event, fight being planned or even a rumor. It could involve school students or adults of any age, men or women. If you are, please contact the City of Pittsburgh's STOP the Violence Office using email address: StopTheViolence@PittsburghPA.Gov. When you send the email, please leave a few details and the neighborhood you are writing from. You will receive an initial response within 2 business days. | | | | | | | | | | If you know someone who needs a bit of help to avoid getting involved in activities that could lead to violence and someone becoming a statistic, please let us know. Help might include advice, family assistance, recovery, support from peers, or even a place to go. The City of Pittsburgh STOP the Violence Office has access to many resources and partner organizations who would be pleased to help you or your friend. The STOP the Violence Office is part of the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety but is not the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. | | | | THIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY HOTLINE AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR CALLIING 911 OR 311 IF VIOLENCE IS READY TO BREAK OUT, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NEW Training: Community Violence Intervention | | | | Across the country, cities are utilizing violence prevention strategies that are similar to Pittsburgh's and use a combination of Group Violence Intervention, Cure Violence, community partnerships and other elements. Now known as Community Violence Intervention (or CVI), these approaches attempt to coordinate efforts for maximum results. Key to all efforts is continuous community education about the available resources and interventions and the results. The Giffords Law Center has researched Community Violence Intervention and produced a seven hour webinar series that can be found here (on the website, scroll down until you see this picture): | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Poll #8: Would you consider participating in a discussion of Community Violence Intervention? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | Mayor Gainey's Pittsburgh Plan for Peace is a CVI strategy. You can find it here: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Group Violence Intervention + Pittsburgh's Group Violence Intervention initiative (GVI) is a proven strategy to reduce shootings and homicides in urban neighborhoods by using a multi-aspect strategy: - informed street outreach and social services to prevent violence, - involved community members reinforcing community norms rejecting violence; and - law enforcement in partnership with the community when other means are not effective. For additional information on GVI, including its history and rationale, see this hour-long webinar from Mayors Against Illegal Guns entitled Re-imagining Public Safety: Group Violence Intervention and Intimate Partner Intervention: Webinar. The password is: MAIGUn1versity! Pittsburgh’s Group Violence Intervention (GVI) violence prevention strategy, including the complete logic model, was featured in the October 2021 STOP the Violence Newsletter which can be accessed HERE. Support and outreach for GVI are coordinated by Rev. Cornell Jones, Director of Outreach who can be contacted at cornell.jones@pittsburghpa.gov. Street Outreach for the City of Pittsburgh is contracted to The Center that Cares' Reach team. Their General Manager is The Reverend Glenn Grayson, Program Manager is Antoine Bailey and Supervisors are Vaughn Rivers (Zones 1 and 2), Terri Minor Spencer (Zones 3 and 6) and Ayo Young (Zones 4 and 5). They can be reached at 1-833-44REACH. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | GVI Support & Outreach: Pittsburgh’s Public Health Approach to Violence Prevention-Part 1 was featured in the August 2021 STOP the Violence Newsletter which can be accessed HERE. Part 2, including GVI and its complete logic model, was featured in the October 2021 Newsletter and can be accessed HERE. How does support and outreach work? Recent research on GVI’s support and outreach component was released this month by the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC). The report explains that in GVI, traditional “social services'' are replaced with a structure “tailored to members of the special core street population, their situation, and their needs.” This is done because “many GVI clients are not ready for traditional social services like remedial education and employment training … these clients instead receive ‘support and outreach.’ Support is defined as ‘providing centralized and accessible services for people at high risk of violence.’” Outreach is defined as ‘’making deliberate, persistent, and consistent connections to people involved in violence to foster new relationships and build community.” Support and Outreach Best PracticesNNSC’s research from around the country has shown that effective outreach and support includes these best practices: - The Goal: Staying alive and out of prison. - Actually reach out. - Protect from risk. - Address trauma. - Provide critical resources. - Support the whole family. - Connect to traditional services. For the entire report on Support and Outreach, click HERE. How you can helpCommunity efforts to compliment the GVI strategy are encouraged. Rev. Jones states: “Other community members, businesses and ministries can help too, even if they don’t have the skills to be an outreach worker, they can help us by sharing resources that can be directed towards the vulnerable population. We need everything that community members need in order to be successful from food to employment to fatherhood and motherhood support.” To get involved, please send an email to the STOP the Violence Office by clicking HERE. | | | | | | | | Webinar Series: Gun Violence and Public Health | | | | Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore and Seattle Council President Lorena Gonzalez headed the list of speakers in a ten hour webinar on August 18 and 19, 2021 organized by the Center on Media, Crime and Justice at John Jay College to help journalists and the public gain greater understanding on efforts to address the rising levels of gun violence in at-risk communities. | | | | | | | The series focused on prevention and intervention strategies. Leaders of community intervention strategies and programs in Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Sacramento discussed what is and isn’t working in their cities. Pittsburgh’s efforts compare quite favorably with these efforts. The webinar consists of seven sessions, each lasting from 30 to 90 minutes. A table of contents is available so you can watch a particular session. Please take a look HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Conflict Resolution Training If you would like more information on violence prevention and some suggestions on ways to be involved with anti-violence activities, please click on and watch the two-hour training video to the right. This training was conducted in January 2021. Our outreach teams include violence interrupters, but there are lots of other roles to play. After viewing the training video, please let us know your thoughts and how you'd like to be involved! | | | | | | | | | | | | Webinar: How to Heal After a Homicide For an insightful discussion on healing from trauma and access to resources necessary to heal after a loss, experts Dr. Toya Jones (Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work) and Valerie Dixon (Director of Family and Community Support for the Center for Victims) see the recorded video: How to Heal After a Homicide. This 37 minute video was recorded in January 2022. Just click below to see the video: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Facts & Stats:
From July 2023 Below are selected crime statistics from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. These statistics are from the period May 1 to July 31, 2023. These only cover the City, not any areas of Allegheny County which are outside of the City. A few notes can be found after the charts. |
| | | IMPORTANT NOTES: Note 1: The Non-fatal shooting incidents reported below includes only incidents, it is not a count of victims. Note 2: One person who was a victim of a non-fatal shooting incident in 2022 but died in April 2023. This is included in the April statistics for Zone 2 but not in the overall count for April 2023.___________________________________ A few statistics of note: - The total number of homicides and non-fatal shooting incidents through July 2023 are both lower than in 2022. - The total number of homicides in July (4) is the same as the number in 2021 and 2022 to 3 in 2023. This is below the 5-year average of 5 per month. - The total number of non-fatal shooting incidents in July decreased significantly from 13 in 2022 to 6 in 2023. - The 6 non-fatal shooting incidents in 2023 is also significantly less than the 5-year average of 14. - The 6 non-fatal shooting incidents in 2023 is far below the 20 incidents in June 2023 and is the lowest number of non-fatal shooting incidents in a month in 2023. - There were no homicides in police zones 2, 5, or 6 in July. - The most homicides were 2 in zone 3. - There were no non-fatal shooting incidents in police zones 4 and 6 in July. - The most non-fatal shooting incidents were 3 in zone 3. Using a public health approach to violence prevention means attempting to understand the proximate and secondary causes of violence and tailoring solutions to fit the impacted population. There is no one answer. The combined work of all community institutions will be necessary to permanently change the culture of violence. If you are interested in working to change these statistics and increase the peace in the City of Pittsburgh, please click HERE to contact the STOP the Violence Office. What will you do to help? | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | City of Pittsburgh Police Zones: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | IMPORTANT NOTE: The Non-fatal shooting incidents reported above includes only incidents, it is not a count of victims. Any incident with more than one victim counts as just one incident. | | | | | | Poll #9: Does knowing the real crime statistics affect your perception of violence? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Coming Events If you want to receive periodic event announcements or are aware of an anti-violence event that is open to the public, please click HERE to send us a notice or announcement. Thank you. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Solutions:Hotlines They're ready to serve YOU! | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States. Don't hesitate to call. For more information on the Lifeline, including statistics on effectiveness and how YOU can become a trained responder, please click HERE. | | | | | | | | | | Safety Tips for You Tip #1:Find The Right Out Of School Time Activities For Your Kids Now that school is back in session, it's time to find those after-school activities for your kids. Every school in Pittsburgh has many, many programs and activities that students may participate in when school is over. There are also programs at many locations near school that provide transportation and even food. After school hours are often a time for kids of all ages to get into mischief, so finding the right out-of-school time activities can make a big difference for your child. If you're having trouble finding the right program or activity, please contact Caring Connections for Youth at 412-231-2612 or contact this office at 412-255-6774 or send an email HERE. Tip #2:Get Involved In Your Child's School Parents, please take the time to get involved in your children's school. School is intended to be a partnership between the school, the teacher and the family. It's this community effort that ultimately reduces the possibilities for violence. Back-to-school time is the perfect opportunity to get the school year off to a good start by attending open houses, parent nights, resource fairs, and similar events. If the parent cannot attend, perhaps a relative can represent the family at the events. When schools, teachers and families work together to support student achievement, students are more motivated, earn higher grades, attend school more regularly, and enroll in higher level courses. In addition, where parents are actively involved and reinforce rules and standards set by the school, students maintain higher educational aims and lower rates of dropout, have better attendance, complete more homework, and have higher enrollment in educational opportunities after high school. The investment you make today in your child's school today will pay dividends tomorrow. So, please take the time to get involved. | | | | | | | | Your Public Safety CouncilNeeds YOU! Your zone's Public Safety Council is a place to go to stay aware of important developments relating to public safety in your police zone. It's also a great place to get to know your local police on a personal basis. Public Safety Councils are run by residents and are open to all. The usual meeting schedule is: Zone 1: First Thursday at 5:30 pm Zone 2: Third Wednesday at 5:30 pm Zone 3: Fourth Thursday at 6:00 pm Zone 4: Third Thursday at 6:30 pm Zone 5: Second Tuesday at 7:00 pm Zone 6: Fourth Thursday at 6:30 pm For connecting or other information about your Public Safety Council, click on the zone to send an email to the appropriate SaferTogether Coordinator: Zones 1 & 5: Emily Embrey Zones 2 & 3: Ian ReynoldsZones 3 & 6: John Tokarski | | | | | | | | Call Us If You Become Aware of a Dispute If you hear of a school, social media or community dispute that needs to be defused before it leads to violence, please let us know. We would like to take positive steps to resolve such disputes before law enforcement must be called. Please report any such disputes or issues to: STOP the Violence Office or text to 412-522-7286. | | | | | | | | Domestic Violence Help: Violence is not an acceptable method to resolve issues between friends or partners. If there are threats, please seek help! When in danger, call 911 immediately. Some other resources are in the Domestic Violence Resource Guide is reproduced below and can be accessed HERE. | | | | | July Poll Responses Poll #1: Are any National Night Out events in your neighborhood? - Yes 56% - No 44% Poll #2:Did you watch any portion of the videos on Iota Phi Foundation or Ozanam, Inc.? - Yes 41% - No 59% Poll #3:Are Violence Prevention Partner awards a good idea? - Yes 75% - No 25% Poll #4:Did you watch any of the video on the Perry Academy Project? - Yes 66% - No 44% Poll #5: Did you watch any portion of the video on Reach? - Yes 44% - No 56% Poll #6:Are Allegheny County's violence prevention efforts moving in the right direction? - Yes 74% - No 26% Poll #7:Did you watch any portion of one of the videos on Community Violence Intervention? - Yes 44% - No 56% Poll #8:Have you ever used or referred to the monthly gun violence statistics in your work? - Yes 46% - No 54% Poll #9:Do you read the Tips that appear monthly in this Newsletter? - Yes 74% - No 26% Poll #10:Do you generally refer to each Stop the Violence Newsletter more than once? - Yes 52% - No 28% Thank you for responding. What can you do to help? | | | | | | | | Previous Newsletters Click on the dates below to find past issues of the City of Pittsburgh STOP the Violence Newsletter: JULY 2023JUNE 2023MAY 2023APRIL 2023MARCH 2023FEBRUARY 2023JANUARY 2023 DECEMBER 2022NOVEMBER 2022OCTOBER 2022SEPTEMBER 2022AUGUST 2022JULY 2022JUNE 2022MAY 2022APRIL 2022MARCH 2022FEBRUARY 2022JANUARY 2022 DECEMBER 2021NOVEMBER 2021OCTOBER 2021SEPTEMBER 2021AUGUST 2021JULY 2021JUNE 2021MAY 2021APRIL 2021MARCH 2021FEBRUARY 2021JANUARY 2021 DECEMBER 2020 NOVEMBER 2020 OCTOBER 2020 So you can more easily access content from previous issues of the Stop the Violence Newsletter, a table of contents for each issue is now on the City Violence Prevention website. You can find the listing HERE. | | | | | | | | Do You Have Any Ideas? The Stop the Violence Newsletter is produced monthly by Jay Gilmer, Coordinator of the STOP the Violence Office of the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety. Please send any ideas, notices or suggestions to: STOP the Violence Office. | | | | | | Poll #10: Are you aware of any youth that are in need of after school programs or activities? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Solutions:Community Resources:Who Needs Help? There Are PLENTY of Outstanding Services Available for YOU in the City of Pittsburgh | | | | A key part of the City’s violence prevention strategy is increasing the awareness of residents of those services that can help people form positive identities. All research indicates that the most important predictor of successful personal choices is a positive purpose. When someone is on their way to something that is attainable and surrounded by people pursuing positive goals, then they are less likely to become involved with negative behaviors. | | | | | | | The STOP the Violence Newsletter is committed to making residents aware of services that can assist community members of all ages in forming those positive identities. | | | | These listings do not contain ALL available services -- there are dozens of services in each police zone. Additional services will be added frequently. These listings are not advertisements or endorsements. They are to make you aware of opportunities for you and the people you know and care about. | | | | If you are aware of a service that should be mentioned in a future STOP the Violence Newsletter, please send the necessary information HERE.If your organization wants to be listed or update its information, please send the necessary information HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zones 3 & 6:Youth & Family Mentoring & Support 1 Nation Mentoring412-389-7555 1 Nation provides in-school based mentoring at Brashear High School, out-of-school time structured activities, including academic support, personal accountability and empowerment workshops, and summer camp for youth ranging from 5th grade through High school. Kevin McNair is Executive Director. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Citywide:Youth Mentoring 2 Tenths Foundation(2 Tenths Speed and Agility)412-728-7251 Founded by DeWayne Brown, and now assisted by Executive Director Rick "Biggs" Bigelow, 2 Tenths focuses on athletic training, mentoring, restorative justice, mental wellness and youth advocacy. Athletic training takes place at the Steelers practice facility on the Southside. Other activities are at Warrington Recreation Center and other locations in the South Hills. "I have been volunteering with them for the past few years and the amount of kids (a few hundred monthly) that we try to keep off of the street is impactful. These kids will tell you that if they weren’t training with us, that they may have entertained some unhealthy behaviors." said Nicole White of Manchester. Athletic training is available for athletes of all ages, from midget league to adults, men and women. For further information, see their website HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 3:Youth Mentoring & Support-STEM Education 25 Carrick Avenue Project412-885-4327 25 Carrick Avenue Project provides youth development and skills training from its location in Carrick. Program areas include entertainment and event technology, education, workforce development. Key staff members include Pete Spynda, Executive Director, Jordan Gilliam, Director of Education, and Trevaun Hairston, Outreach Coordinator. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 3:Youth Lifeskills Development A's VisionPhone #: 412-326-8014 | | | | A’s Vision teaches lifeskills to teens including how to become responsible drivers and banking and money management. A good article appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on May 31 on A's Vision. You can see the article HERE. Their capacity is growing and they are are interested in helping YOU! | | | | | | Aaron Wade of A's Vision | | | For further information or to sign up for the next money management courses or for driving instruction, contact Aaron Wade of A’s Vision at avision5300@yahoo.com or click HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Citywide:Youth Mentoring Aaron Donald 99 Solutions Foundation Founded by NFL star Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams, the AD 99 Solutions Foundation provides mentoring, academic support, and lifeskills training for selected high school athletes; a summer sports skills camp; and periodic clinics to youth sports coaches. For further information, see their website HERE, or contact Akita Donald, Executive Director or Rita Gillcrease, Program Coordinator. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Center for Traumatic Stress in Children and Adolescents 1-412-330-4328 Offering world-renowned expertise in evaluating and treating children who have experienced traumatic life events or live with post-traumatic stress disorder. A program of Allegheny Health Network. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5:Youth Mentoring & Support - Academics Bible Center Church-The Maker's Clubhouse 1-412-242-4920 Offers afterschool STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture and Math) and socio-economic learning programming in Faison and Lincoln Schools. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 3:Youth Development & Family Support The Brashear Association412-431-2236 The Brashear Association serves community members in South Pittsburgh neighborhoods and works with them to solve challenges they may be facing. The Executive Director is Beltzhoover native Andrea Matthews. Programs include: - Food, utility and rental assistance - Employment services - After-school youth programming for anyone in grades K-12 For further information, see their website HERE or send an email HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5: Youth Mentoring & Support - Athletics & Academics Brothers & Sisters Emerging 5315 Hillcrest Street - Garfield 1-412-404-2250 Serving boys and girls ages 7 through 17. Offering mentoring, tutoring, cultural and educational activities, recreation and parent information. Operating after-school and summer camp programs. Also home of the Garfield Gators. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Center for Victims Hotline: 1-866-644-2882 Caring, professional staff is available 24 hours per day, seven days per week to respond to emergency needs of crime victims and witnesses, answer questions, and provide support. You can also call: Valerie Dixon at the Center for Victims at 1-412-403-0194 or vdixon@venterforvictims.org. Darnell Drewery at the Center for Victims at 1-412-758-9237 or ddrewery@centerforvictims.org. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 4:Youth & Family Mentoring & Support Center Of Life412-521-3468Center of Life, based in Hazelwood, provides families and youth with the lifeskills, education, training and resources necessary to be strong and to make their communities strong. They have a variety of programs including after-school activities for youth in grades K-12, plus family services and resources. Key staff include Reverend Tim Smith, Kiyomi Knox, DaVonne Fuller, Sarah Crawshaw, and Meg Mszyco. For more information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 2:Youth Mentoring & Support Center That Cares1-412-26-CARES CARES offers programs for pre-k through grade 12 – and beyond. They are committed to uplifting and transforming the lives of people of all ages through education, recreation, cultural enrichment, and thoughtful guidance. For youth in pre-k through 5th grade, Cares offers nurturing, academic tutoring, recreational activities, and enrichment seminars. For grades 6 to 12, Cares offers academic tutoring, career counseling, college and vocational school admissions assistance, and enrichment seminars. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5: Youth Mentoring, Family Support & Workforce Development CEA-Community Empowerment Association 7120 Kelly Street - Homewood 1-412-371-3689 Offering a variety of youth development programs for youth, including Asante Nation Safe Passage After-School, Kamp Kuumba, Saturday University Out-of-School Programming and African-American Leadership Institute. Also offers workforce development for all ages. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | City-wide:Reentry Divine Intervention Ministries412-621-0622 Founded by Debra Germany after the murder of her son, Divine Intervention Ministries provides employment services and wraparound supportive services necessary for successful re-entry. the IMPACT Program, an 8-week faith-based program that provides a forum for intensive self-reflection and redirection, practical resources, after care/reentry services and mentoring support to the individuals incarcerated at Renewal, Inc. For further information, see their website HERE or send an email to Debra Germany, Executive Director HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5:Youth Mentoring & Support East End Cooperative Ministry -EECM412-345-7172 EECM offers a variety of in-school and after-school programs for youth of all ages. Programs include elementary educational support, media and musical outreach, girls enrichment and empowerment, sport (including hockey, volleyball, basketball cycling and more. They are work inside Obama and Westinghouse high Schools as well as many Zone 5 middle and elementary schools. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5: East Liberty Family Health Care Center412-661-2802 A Federally Qualified Health Care Center providing a full range of medical, dental, pediatric, prenatal, and behavioral health services including staff therapists and a chaplain. Locations in East Liberty, Lincoln-Lemington and Wilkinsburg. Even if you don’t have insurance, please come. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Western Pennsylvania:Parenting Resources Fathers Collaborative Council of Western PA The role of active parents to community and individual safety cannot be overemphasized. Many resources exist to help for both fathers and mothers. One such resource is the Fathers Collaborative Council of Western PA. The FCCWPA is made up of over over 20 organizations with resources for fathers and families. Their first monthly newsletter can be found HERE. | | | | | | | | | | For information on the Fathers Collaborative Council of Western PA, including membership and resources, click HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Foundation of HOPE 540 Suismon StreetPittsburgh, PA 15212 Offering a variety of programs to prevent incarceration, chaplaincy and pre-release to serve individuals in Allegheny County Jail and aftercare to prevent recidivism. For information on their support community for reentering citizens, their families and community members, send an email HERE. Please call if you need help or want to help: Adult or Youth Diversion: 412-321-3343Allegheny County Jail Chaplaincy: 412-350-2057Allegheny County Jail Pre-Release: 412-350-1322Jail or Prison Aftercare: 412-321-3343 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | GriefShare Numerous Locationsin Allegheny County GriefShare is for people grieving the death of a family member or friend. GriefShare groups meet weekly to help you face these challenges and move toward rebuilding your life. Each GriefShare session has three distinct elements: a video lesson, in-person group discussion, and personal reflection. This weekly group is free (just purchase the workbook online), open to anyone, and is offered in numerous locations in western Pennsylvania. The 13 week series features a video and optional discussion. To be part of the next series, just find a location and sign up on the website at www.griefshare.org. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Downtown: Highmark Caring Place 620 Stanwix Street Pittsburgh, PA 15222 888-224-4673 As a peer support program, the Caring Place provides an environment where children, teens and adults can receive support from others their own ages who are going through very similar experiences, such as the loss of a parent or other loved one. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5:Youth Mentoring & Support - Academics Homewood Children's Village1-412-727-7605 Offering holistic support to students at Lincoln PreK-5, Faison K-5 and Westinghouse High School. They use an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 1: Youth Development & Violence Prevention Infinite Lifestyle Solutions412-345-1366 Infinite Lifestyle Solutions provides a variety of services to Northside school students and their parents. Programs include: - Restorative Safe Passages, to reduce violence and provide safety before and after school - Saving Our Sons & Daughters, to help youth who have suffered from trauma through violence - Teen Dating Violence Prevention, to help young participants to navigate healthy relationships To get involved or for further information, please contact Cecilia Ware, Founder and Executive Director by clicking HERE or see their website HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Jeremiah’s Place 6435 Frankstown Avenue 15206 (Larimer) 412-924-0726 Pittsburgh’s only crisis nursery. It provides emergency child care services for children ages 0-6 for a few hours or days based on the needs of each individual family. All services provided are free, available for 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | City-wide:Street Outreach and Violence Intervention MAD DADSGreaterPittsburghMadDads@gmail.com MAD DADS are concerned men from the community who want to be a positive presence on the streets. Over the years, they have learned that presence matters. They can regularly be seen in communities including downtown, Homewood, Hill District, Turtle Creek, Wilkinsburg and East Hills. A stipend may be availalble to members who participate in enough street patrols. | | | | | | | | All interested drug-free men who care are invited to join. With more men, MAD DADS can be present in more communities. There's even a Moms Division for interested women. To get started, please see the Greater Pittsburgh Area MAD DADS Facebook page or contact MAD DADS at GreaterPittsbrughMADDADS@gmail.com. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Melanin Mommies Latrice “Phoenix” Rose started Melanin Mommies out of a concern for family members of victims who are affected by grief and trauma. After doing a survey of families who lost someone, she realized that mental health services weren’t always offered to them. Even for those few families that received some counseling resources, they needed more for their families and children because the grief didn’t stop. Do you need help coping with your loss? Is your child struggling to cope with the loss of a parent or sibling? Please sign up for the next Melanin Mommies Mental Healing Cohort. It will meet for 12 weeks every Saturday at 10:30 am. For more information, see the Melanin Mommies Facebook page or contact Latrice Rose at at Info@melaninmommiespgh.org. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5:Men’s Huddle Group Paul B. Jones, Sr. experienced the death of his 19 year old son Jeremiah in 2017. He formed The Men’s Huddle Group as a support group for fathers who have lost children to gun violence and otherwise. The Men’s Huddle Group meets the fourth Thursday of each month from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Liberty (250 Highland Avenue, 15206 – across from Home Depot). For additional information, contact Paul Jones via email at jonzboyz@aol.com or call anytime (24/7) at 412-613-1912. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The MOMS GroupSupport For Mothers Tina Ford of Clairton formed Mothers of Murdered Sons (The MOMS Group) after the loss of her son in 2019. The MOMS Group meets in Clairton on the third Saturday of each month. All are welcome, just call Tina in advance for the location. If transportation is a problem, just call Tina – MOMS sometimes arranges transportation or makes home visits to provide support. For more information, see the MOMS Group Facebook page HERE or contact Tina Ford at 412-219-7157 or Momsgroup2020@gmail.com.. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Citywide:Youth Mentoring Mount Ararat Community Activity Center (MACAC) Mentoring Program412-441-5405 MACAC Mentoring provides one to one and group mentoring for youth age 11-18 years old (grades 6-12) and enrichment activities including career readiness; life skills and spiritual development activities, field trips, academic enrichment and fun. All activities are based at the Mt. Ararat Community Activity Center, 745 North Negley Avenue Pgh, PA 15206. | | | | | | | | | | Mentoring for 6th-8th grade is offered Thursday evening from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm (dinner served). Mentoring for grades 9-12 is offered Monday-Friday 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm (a monthly stipend for attendance may be available). They are also recruiting adult mentors to join their team. Please contact Program Director Jeffrey Nash if you're interested. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Citywide:Neighborhood Resilience Project412-261-1234 The Trauma Response Team cares for the acute needs of family and friends of homicide victims of gun violence across all of Allegheny County. Dan Emerick, MDiv, MSW – Trauma Response Team Manager | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 4: Youth Development & Mentoring, Workforce Development P.O.O.R.L.A.W.1-412-670-8421 Based in Hazelwood, POORLAW offers mentoring for youth from ages 5 and up, intergenerational sharing and workforce development. For further information, please see their website by clicking HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 1:Youth & Family Mentoring & Support Project Destiny412-231-1258Project Destiny operates from 5 locations on the Northside and provides a variety of services to youth and families. Services include after-school programs from 3 to 6 pm daily, counseling, pre-school programs, and mentoring. The Reverend Dr. Brenda Gregg is Executive Director. Key staff include Jamella Hamlin, Daphne Curges, Gary Nolan and Darryl Goodwine. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 3:Youth Development and Mentoring Shadow Student Athlete Development Services412-708-4008 Shadow Student Athletes provides culturally responsive mentoring for student athletes using character coaches at public schools. These character coaches act as conflict specialists to support students, families and school staff by assisting in a variety of ways. The Executive Director is Von Madden. For further information, see their website HERE or send an email HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 3:Street Outreach, Youth Development and Mentoring South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace | | | | | | | South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace is home of the South Pittsburgh Peacemakers, a street outreach team which is available to prevent violence and intervene in situations which could lead to violence. They also offer educational workshops on violence prevention and community responses to violence. Two of their initiatives are described below. "Our primary focus in the community is to interrupt violence from occurring in Pittsburgh neighborhoods; however, if violence cannot be prevented, our mission is to provide a voice in the community, especially for children," said Rev. Eileen Smith, Executive Director. For further information, please contact Reverend Eileen Smith, Executive Director at 412-481-2777 or see their Facebook page. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | City-wide:Adult Workforce Development Trade Institute of Pittsburgh412-243-2970 Trade Institute of Pittsburgh provides skill training and wrap-around services for individuals interested in construction trades. Their primary location is in Homewood, but they accept students from across the region. Key staff include Donta Green, Executive Director, Kirk Gilbert, Case Manager and Chett Williams, Life Coach. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 1:Youth Mentoring & Support Urban Impact Foundation1-412-321-3811 Urban Impact provides a safe place for in and out-of-school programming opportunities for children from preschool through high school in various locations on the NorthSide. They offer 60+ unique programs, including: - Education/Academics - Athletics - Performing Arts - Options Workforce Readiness Learn more by visiting their website: ULIPgh.org. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5: Life Skills & Family Support-Housing WAVE-Willisae's Agency for Vision & Empowerment134 South Highland Avenue #6 - East Liberty1-412-573-9217 Offers trauma and life skills individual, group and family workshops and a variety of educational opportunities for entrepreneurship and job readiness. Also offers specialized counseling to prepare individuals and families to be emotionally, physically and financially fit to purchase a home. Also offers renters eviction coaching, credit and budget counseling. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5: Youth Mentoring & Support - Athletics Westinghouse Youth Wrestling1-412-709-0775 "Wrestling is one of the greatest sports for helping young kids build their character, develop self-confidence, improve discipline, and strengthen their will to succeed." For community youth from any school who are between ages 5 and 17. Participants also participate in outdoor experiences, goal setting and mentorship. For additional information, contact Justin Perkins, Director at the above telephone number or click HERE to send an email. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5:Youth Mentoring & Support YES - Youth Enrichment Services1-412-661-7834 YES provides socially and economically at risk youth the opportunity to achieve success through participation in mentorship, education, and enrichment programs. Mentorship is available to students who are ages 14-21, attending Pittsburgh Public Schools or schools in surrounding districts. Education programs include academics, employment preparation, leadership development and empowerment. To get involved as a mentor, volunteer or to enroll a student, just click HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | City-wide:Youth Development Youthplaces412-434-0851 Youthplaces offers out-of-school time activities for teens in safe places to learn, grow, play and succeed. It currently has locations on the Northside, Downtown, East Liberty, McKeesport and McKees Rocks. For further information, see their website HERE. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Zone 5:Reentry Support Za'kiyah House412-353-9365412-595-6666 Za'Kiyah House provides housing, life skills and reentry support for men and women from several locations, including one in Homewood. Ronna Davis-Moore is the Executive Director. Key staff include Joseph Moore and Regina Pearson. For further information, click HERE for their website. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Teen Dating Violence Since one in three teens is a victim of teen dating violence, you probably know someone who has been a victim. Click HERE for resources on teen dating violence. Click on the picture for a Teen Dating Violence Action Action Guide. | | | | | | | | | | | | Other: - Alma Illery Medical Center’s Behavioral Health Services Office: 412-244-4700 - City of Pittsburgh Dept. of Public Safety’s Victims of Crime Office: 412-707-2988 - Dr. Staci Ford, Trauma Recovery and Violence Intervention Specialist: 412-277-4616 - Jessica Gurley, LCSW: (412) 204-6934 - RESOLVE Crisis Center - 24 hours: 1-888-796-8226 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Poll #11: Is there an organization that you would like to see promoted in this Newsletter? | | | Yes | | Select | | | | | | | | No | | Select | | | | | | | | | | | Sign up here to receive the monthly City of Pittsburgh STOP The Violence Newsletter | | | | | | | | | | | | City of Pittsburgh | 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Office of Community Services & Violence Prevention | | | Unsubscribe jaygilmer@verizon.net | | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice | | Sent by stoptheviolence@pittsburghpa.gov powered by | | | Try email marketing for free today! | | |