Kensington basketball league among projects hit by DOJ grant cuts

Billy Penn in the past few days communicated on the Cure Violence Basketball League one of the programs offered by a local masses fitness initiative The winter basketball league provided a free welcoming and safe milieu for adult men in Kensington and across the city to get particular exercise practice social skills and improve sportsmanship NKCDC vice president Amy Perez stated us then One of the refs revealed to me I ve never been after a championship contest where I can sit down and the two teams that just played each other are all eating together and I m not being escorted to my car she announced So it was not just us that noticed but the ref was really noticing the difference between the dynamics with this league versus other leagues that he refs for Leaders of the effort say the project was a massive success which made the news that the venture was among those impacted by new Department of Justice funding cuts all the more bewildering and painful The cuts totaling million for NKCDC alone are being made because the Trump administration says the programs no longer advocacy department priorities announced Bill McKinney the group s executive director Those cuts that will the majority directly affect NKCDC s Cure Violence operation a violence intervention venture in Kensington Real immediate impacts The Cure Violence initiative as a whole and the basketball league were making real changes that helped Kensington tremendously McKinney disclosed There s been a lot of attention on the reduction in violent crime in Philadelphia which really started about two years ago he noted That s within perhaps the first year of our campaign and there s been really crucial changes I think Philly as a whole has had about a decrease And Kensington has had about a to decrease in shootings starting in So there s been really essential changes McKinney mentioned the effort was just getting started and that these cuts will affect the major strides it has made in creating change We ve got this cycle that has now been created where we are increasing the reality of how numerous people are going to be involved in violent exercises and we ve eliminated really one of the only programs that is effective at addressing that he declared So we are staring at a real situation here and I don t want that lost The undertaking also offers perspective from those with lived experience in violent situations and de-escalating conflict providing scheme participants with trusted relatable peers McKinney stated the Cure Violence operation is one of the limited evidence-based approaches that has been shown to reduce gun violence Without programs like this communities could start to see problems reappear The Department of Justice s cuts will affect hundreds of organizations across the country that offer things like gun-violence prevention programs victim encouragement services such as trauma centers and organizations supporting casualties of domestic violence and abuse This includes several Philly-based organizations It was such a flourishing initiative we were looking to expand it with this money he noted And now we re just looking to see if we can maintain it in certain way for particular period of time Violence as a inhabitants wellbeing issue The Cure Violence effort is a national organization that focuses on a data-driven approach to effectively reduce violence Cure Violence in Kensington follows this national model McKinney explains the operation has been incredibly effective in Kensington offering various programs and strategies to interrupt violence before it happens and de-escalate situations McKinney commented the notification that federal funding would cease for these grants was sudden and there was specific confusion about why these kinds of programs would be cut The administration commented money cut from these programs will be put toward directly supporting certain law enforcement operations combating violent crime which is what we were doing he reported It will be put toward protecting American children which is what we were doing He explained the notification also explained money would be rerouted to promotion American casualties of trafficking and sexual assault and better coordinating law enforcement efforts at all levels of regime The Cure Violence venture receives funding through one other grant the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency School Safety and Assurance Committee s Violence Intervention Prevention VIP Grants But McKinney declared much of Cure Violence s operating costs including its staff were on the DOJ grants More affected Nationwide the cuts affect over grants that total over million and Cure Violence Kensington is not the only Philly organization that would lose this federal funding A list of affected programs can be uncovered here The Pennsylvania Innocence Project which helps those wrongfully convicted of crimes be exonerated or better transition to freedom would lose almost in grant funding The organization operates in several parts of Pennsylvania but primarily out of law schools in the Philly area For PIP these cuts are a critical portion of their funding and could create issues like longer wait times for services and a limited reach in helping clients The Children s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Phillips Black Incorporated s Philadelphia office a nonprofit inhabitants interest law practice will also lose grant funding for certain programs McKinney revealed that for any of the organizations losing money it is not an ideal time I think the one other thing that is just an key theme is this is happening in the midst of other cuts that have taken place that are not violence-related cuts and others that are coming he commented He emphasizes that multiple of the services supported by this grant are for those who may be struggling financially and foreseen cuts to SNAP benefits and utility rent assistance could harm scheme participants as well He mentioned these moves will increase how a large number of people are involved in violent crimes The vast majority of people who are out here on the corners they re not out there becoming millionaires they re out there getting enough to get by getting enough for electricity getting enough for that clinical crisis he noted You ve got this cycle that is now being created The future According to Reuters grantees have days to appeal the funding cuts and a small number of grants have been restored For the Cure Violence plan the lack of funding along with proposed funding cuts to SNAP and other supportive programs could be devastating These things all connect McKinney stated Being in a basketball league connects to an intervention strategy it s all very interconnected You take away one thing and you really have a sort of multiplier effect in another space Bottom line McKinney disclosed the society may really struggle without the project Cure Violence is one of the minimal evidence-based approaches that there is evidence that says this works this reduces gun violence he announced The post Kensington basketball league among projects hit by DOJ grant cuts appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY