Cook County Gives Chicago Groups Money, to Support Gun Violence Prevention

Several organizations in Chicago’s west side, some of which include, New Moms, BUILD Chicago, and Manufacturing Renaissance, are going to be receiving funding from Cook County’s $75 million that will be supporting Chicago programs that are working to prevent and reduce gun violence.

The Chicago organizations received multi-year grants worth between $1.2 million and $15 million, which will be distributed over the course of the following three years, beginning this month.

The grants represent investments into over 60 community groups, that are known to try and prevent gun violence, and they use strategies, some of which include street outreach intervention, victims services, workforce development, and case management.

The initiative brings together the grantees to share and collaborate strategies to try and reduce gun violence so that groups can support each other as they expand their reach, said county Commissioner Dennis Deer.

The Gun Violence Prevention and Reduction Grant Program, which is run by Cook County’s Justice Advisory Council, receives funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

The gun violence and prevention grants were designed by the county’s Justice Advisory Council in response to the rise in shooting since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Although violent crimes have been going down since 2016 in Chicago, the pandemic created instability which made 2021 the deadliest year in decades.

According to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Chicago areas that have had the highest rates of gun violence received priority.

In an interview, Brandon Johnson,  Cook County Commissioner, said that in determining the people that would benefit the most from the grants, the first thing taken into consideration was “who is most impacted by the past mistakes.”

“This is a crucial component of our framework because we are discussing justice and equity,” Johnson said. “Communities that have suffered the most from underinvestment and, quite frankly, from the reliance on incarceration and surveillance must receive the resources.”

Brandon Johnson announced on Tuesday that he’s currently in the process of deciding whether or not he would like to try and run for mayor of Chicago.

The 46-year-old, Commissioner, Johnson, says that he had been much overwhelmed due to calls from Chicago’s labor and progressive community to run for mayor, as well as their certainty that he was the best candidate to come from the crowded field and try and defeat Lightfoot, she’s running for a second term.

Johnson said that the recipients of the grant address very serious needs in communities that have been deeply harmed by failures in investments in places such as housing, health care, education, workforce development, and youth outreach.

BUILD Chicago, in a coalition with the Covenant House of Illinois, United for Blocks Together, Better Living (UBL), and MAAFA Redemption Project was awarded $15 million for trauma-informed services and violence prevention for people that have experienced violence in Austin, Humboldt Park, and Garfield Park.

“As we all know, one of the best ways to stop gun violence is through community-based initiatives.” BUILD’s chief development officer Kirsten Mallik said. “And the purpose of this award is to expand and magnify all of that work.”

BUILD and their allies will provide a plethora of resources some of which include crisis intervention, mental health, violence intervention, workforce development, housing, youth mentorship, education, and outreach. They are providing these services, to prevent at-risk youth & adults from interacting with violence or being the victim of gun violence.

“The idea that since these items already exist, we don’t need any more of them,” Bradly Johnson, BUILD’s chief community officer said. “But the ones of us who are on the ground doing the work, we do not have enough.”

Written By Lance Santoyo
Edited by Sheena Robertson

Sources:

AustinTalks: Cook County to invest in violence prevention programs in Austin, Chicago’s West Side

wttw: Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson Launches Exploratory Committee for Chicago Mayor

Block Club Chicago: West, South Side Groups Are Getting A Share Of $75 Million To Support Gun Violence Prevention

Featured Image Courtesy of Daniel X. O’Neil Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

Inset Image Courtesy of Chris Lock Flickr Page – Creative Commons License