FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, Nov. 6, 1995
Contact: Michael Kharfen (202) 401-9215
CLINTON ADMINISTRATION GRANTS TO FIGHT GANG ACTIVITY AND YOUTH VIOLENCE
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today announced the award of $2.8 million
in grants to help six community coalitions fight gang activity and youth
violence.
"These community programs give
us a rare opportunity to help young people choose against gangs and
break the cycle of violence," said Secretary Shalala. "This
is the kind of investment in people that President Clinton has championed.
But Congress has proposed eliminating this youth violence prevention
program."
Funded under the Youth Gang Drug Prevention
Program of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, the six community coalition
grantees will develop action plans to concentrate resources on socially
and economically isolated neighborhoods and identify the developmental
needs of youth (ages 9-12) within their communities. The goals of the
program include community and family involvement, as well as providing
academic support and career opportunities for young people. More than
6,000 young people will be served through these grants.
Specific activities for young people
will include afterschool and summer tutoring and programs for prevention
of substance abuse, alcohol and tobacco use, and pregnancy. Youth will
also participate in leadership activities, such as youth conferences
and wilderness experiences. Job training and preparation, non-violent
conflict resolution and mediation training will also be offered, as
will referrals to health, mental health and social services.
Parents will also receive services from
grantees, with training in parenting and leadership skills. The organizations
will form parent support groups and provide parents with job training
and search activities.
Each project will be consist of a community-based
consortium developed by the grantee which will involve all sectors of
the community and organize community-wide events to promote families
and pride in their neighborhood.
"The community is the central focus
of all the grants and the coalitions aim to increase community support
in addressing and reducing the problems of youth violence," said
Mary Jo Bane, HHS assistant secretary for children and families. "The
building of youth esteem to resist dangerous and destructive behavior
and the involvement and preservation of the family are major goals of
all the grants."
Grant recipients are:
o San Diego Youth and Community Services,
Calif., $499,181.
o San Francisco Police Department, Calif., $500,000.
o Good Shepherd Services, New York, N.Y., $380,000.
o Memphis City Schools, Memphis, Tenn., $485,439.
o Alivane, Inc., El Paso, Texas, $499,976.
o City of Spokane, Wash., $498,834.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials
are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
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