RACINE—Today, Mayor Mason announced that the City of Racine awarded $513,874.80 in grants to local organizations to reduce violence. Organizations have until January 26th to submit their proposals. The Mayor urges those who haven’t applied yet to do so promptly.
The city called for proposals for evidence and community-based initiatives that reduce violence and work in coordination with other public safety resources and partners to reduce risk for Racine’s youth.
The Mayor released the following statement:
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe community. As the country sees an uptick in violence, we have a plan to deal with it locally. That includes collaborating with the police department, county officials, and community organizations to both perpetrators accountable and prevent crime from happening in the first place.”
“I am proud to announce that my 2023 budget allocated significant resources toward funding law enforcement and preventing violence. It’s important to recognize that the city cannot tackle this problem alone and we must come together as a community to make a meaningful impact on public safety.”
Kimberly Payne, of Payne Consulting added:
“We’re honored to have received a grant from the City of Racine to help prevent violence. With the funding, we’re mentoring 30 youth, ages nine to 13, in a 12-week program at the Dr. John Bryant and Dr. Martin Luther King Community Centers.”
“Our mentoring program reduces the risk of youth involvement in unsafe situations by serving as a positive after-school option. We partner with Now What Inc., Golden Touch Boxing Club, and Commute to Careers to promote leadership development, physical wellness, and community engagement among the youth we serve.”
“Our program employs a diverse group of mentors passionate about serving young people and making a positive impact in our community. It’s a win-win.”
Ahmad Qawi, President/CEO of the Racine Family YMCA added:
“The Racine Family YMCA is very grateful to the City of Racine for providing the ARPA Violence Prevention Initiative to our community. The funds received by the Y will strengthen our Young Achievers after-school youth program through enriched academic support, leadership development training, and a new nutritious snack and meal program. Our program is designed for Racine middle school youth ages 11-14.”
“The connections between proper nutrition and all aspects of academic achievement, including academic performance, education behavior, attitudes and cognitive skills are well known. The new snack and meal program will augment the Young Achievers program because good nutrition is proven to improve students’ grades and attendance.”
“The ARPA Violence Prevention Initiative will provide mentorship, resources and proper nutrition to up to 150 Racine youth to develop core competencies needed for success in school and in the community. Thank you again to the City of Racine for making this program possible.”
The city funded the following grants:
| Grant | Funding |
| Payne Consulting: Next Level Mentoring Program Next Level is a mentoring program for 9-13 year old youth focused on leadership, character development, career exploration, and physical wellness. The program partners with Golden Touch Boxing, Now What #1 Transportation, and former Racine Chief of Police Art Howell. | $74,140.00 |
| Focus on Community Focus on Community introduces life skills development programming into neighborhoods that are underserved. The program focuses on social, emotional, and resiliency skills to develop assets and reduce unsafe behavior. The agency has offered this programing for 20 years to great success. The agency partners with the Racine Police Department and the C.O.P Program. | $70,000.00 |
| 2023 Main Gallery 2023 Main Gallery is a six-week summer youth employment program that provides teens an opportunity to work on art projects while learning essential job skills. Main Gallery partners with Racine Police Department, the Bryant Center, and the Tyler Domer Center. | $60,594.80 |
| Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps (GLCCC) Junior Racine Builds is a year-round diversion and employment program that engages youth ages 15-17 with experiential education and training to acquire credentials, complete a diploma, and improve employability while completing community redevelopment and restoration programs. Jr. Racine Builds also partners with Racine Police Department. | $75,000.00 |
| Frazier Support Services Family2Family is a 12-week parenting program that works with families with struggling youth. Frazier Support Services partners with the court system, public defender, and district attorney. | $74,140.00 |
| Urban Peace Institute Urban Peace Institute provides a national best practice training and mentoring program forcommunities impacted by community gun violence. Outcomes of their work in LA include a 50%reduction in youth arrests in invested neighborhoods. | $35,000.00 |
| Dr. John Bryant Community Center Innovation Station The Dr. John Bryant Community Center Innovation Station is an innovative program for young people to explore and excel in science and technology. They assist in keeping youth engaged in the community center during the times they could choose to be on the streets. They collaborate with small business owners and entrepreneurs to engage youth with positive options and to teach them about career opportunities in science and technology. They partner with the City of Racine Hamilton Street C.O.P. House, the Dr. John Bryant Community Center, and Gateway Technical College. | $50,000.00 |
| Racine Family YMCAThe Young Leaders Academy (YLA) is a year-round gang violence prevention and youth leadership program. YLA partners with Racine Unified School District, the George Bray Center, the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and Neighborhood Watch. | $75,000.00 |
| Total: | $513,874.80 |
