Public Health Madison & Dane County is providing funding to community-based organizations who work to reduce violence in our community. A total of $300,000 is being awarded to five organizations.
“We’re so happy to be giving this money to these organizations who know our community best,” says Aurielle Smith, Director of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation for Public Health Madison & Dane County. “The work of reducing violence cannot be done alone. We need to leverage the expertise and experiences of partners across sectors to get it done. Providing financial support to help them in their work is one way to jump start that process,” continues Smith.
The organizations who will receive funding are:
- Dane County District Attorney’s Office – Crime Response Program
o Funding will be used to provide Bluetooth panic buttons on phones of victims of violent crimes who remain at risk for further/escalating violence. When activated, the panic button sends the user’s GPS location and within seconds, notifies 911.
- Dane County Multi Agency Center – Multi-Agency Portal
o Funding will be used for a web-based platform and app for survivors of sexual violence and local support services to connect with each other.
- Meadowood Neighborhood Association – Meadowood Health Partnership
o Funding will be used to build organizational capacity to strengthen services to individuals with immediate housing, food, and other emergency needs, and refer these individuals to needed health and social services in order to prevent or reduce violence from occurring.
- Operation Fresh Start – Mobile Engagement for Youth and Emerging Adults
o Funding will be used to counsel young adults ages 17-24 who need support in exploring career options, preparing for employment, and taking next steps towards achieving their career goals.
- Urban Triage – Supporting Healthy Black Families and Youth
o Funding will be used in a new initiative that will serve youth ages 14-24, especially those aging out of foster care or re-entering society after incarceration. The program will provide individual support, job skills development, rental assistance, trauma recovery, and support navigating institutions and systems.
This funding opportunity supports the continued implementation of Public Health’s Roadmap to Reducing Violence in Madison and Dane County. Public Health asked for proposals from organizations whose work supports the goals and objectives of the Roadmap, specifically in three areas:
- Creating more opportunities for children, youth, and families to connect to resources that promote healthy development and engagement
- Bringing together neighborhood members, including government, to develop trust and working relationships
- Intervention and healing for those affected by violence
Public Health received funding to support violence prevention efforts from both the City of Madison and Dane County, as a sub recipient of their federal ARPA funding. A portion of this funding is being used to award these organizations.
“We’re investing in violence prevention efforts across our community to make our city safer,” says Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. “I’m excited that our ARPA funding will help increase opportunities for our youth, foster stronger neighborhoods, and help our community heal from violence,” continues Rhodes-Conway.
Projects will be funded for at least one year, and will begin on August 1, 2022.
“The dollars the County is contributing toward this funding opportunity will help ensure that violence prevention efforts extend beyond Madison’s city limits,” says County Executive Joe Parisi. “I’m happy that this funding will help expand the capacity of these important community programs, helping them to serve more people,” continues Parisi.
