North Indy News

Bloomington, Ind. - Mayor John Hamilton has designated $125,000 in funding directly to support community-based efforts to prevent, intervene and reduce violence in Bloomington. The City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department will administer the new Community-Based Violence Reduction Grants – a project to invest annually in evidence-based violence prevention projects offered by neighborhood-based agencies and organizations in Bloomington. 

“Each neighborhood is unique. By utilizing the expertise and lived experiences of neighbors, we hope to make an impact on the specific challenges faced by residents in their neighborhoods,” said Beverly Calender-Anderson, Director of the City of Bloomington Community and Family Resources Department.

 Eligible applicants can be but are not limited to, non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, resident councils, and faith communities that serve Bloomington neighborhoods. Applicants with demonstrated experience intervening and addressing crime, especially relating to retaliatory violence and youth-involved violence, are encouraged to apply.

 “All of us want to see violence reduced,” said Mayor John Hamilton. “Amid the pandemic and the rising prevalence of guns, we’ve seen some disturbing trends in violence, especially gun violence, even in our relatively safe community of Bloomington. Addressing problems proactively is what this new grant program is about supporting neighborhoods and neighbors in creative and effective interventions to advance nonviolence and public safety.”  

This funding is intended to build the capacity of grassroots organizations engaged in violence prevention and ensure resources reach the residents who need them most. Collaborations with two or more partners will strengthen the application. Eligible organizations may apply for grants of up to $25,000.  

The application can be found at https://bton.in/7XhkT. The submission deadline is Thursday, June 15  at 5 p.m. Grant award announcements will be made no later than July 30, with program implementation to begin September 1, 2023, or thereafter. 

Original source can be found here.