Community Safety Department Announces Violence Prevention Grant Recipients

The Cambridge Community Safety Department (CSD) has announced that four local organizations have been awarded grant funding from the City of Cambridge in support of violence prevention programs and/or services.

These four organizations, who all have positively impacted the Cambridge community in a variety of ways, will help address and prevent multiple forms of violence and related trauma by supporting our strengths and assets so all residents and neighborhoods thrive.

Community Service Care, Inc., InnerCity Weightlifting, Inc., My Brother's Keeper Cambridge, and the Transition House have been selected as the recipients of the grant funding. Each organization will receive $150,000 and play a crucial role in promoting ongoing community safety and well-being in Cambridge.

• Community Service Care, Inc. A program under the umbrella of Community Service Care, the Cambridge Holistic Emergency Alternative Response Team (HEART) centers on marginalized people and builds local capacity to disrupt cycles of harm by responding to crises, conducting research, and facilitating community cohesion. Among several areas, the grand funding will help HEART onboard responders who will staff the HEARTLine, perform mobile response and follow-up with community members.
• InnerCity Weightlifting, Inc.Their mission is to amplify the voice and agency of people who have been most impacted by systemic racism and mass incarceration. With a facility in Cambridge, they partner with program participants through case management and careers in and beyond personal training. Individuals are elevated as experts in fitness and the social issues they have lived.
• My Brother's Keeper.Located in Cambridge, My Brother's Keeper is committed to disrupting and eradicating chronic social, mental, economical and educational barriers for youth, young adults and parents. The grant funding will enable MBK to offer a Summer Empowerment Program that services Cambridge residents 18-30 years old. The program aims to equip participants with skills to embraces a high-level of excellence when thinking, mapping and executing within their academic, professional and social lives. The program's areas of focus include post-secondary exploration, financial education, entrepreneurship, and health and well-being.
• Transition Househas been a long-time social justice leader addressing domestic violence intervention and prevention by developing effective community partnerships and programs that strengthen families, prevent homelessness, and enable survivors to rebuild their lives and homes. The additional grant funding will allow further operational support and the hiring of several staff, including a Children Services Coordinator, Director of Community Support Partnerships, Community Advocate, and Clinician (adults and children).

"Violence prevention has long been a paramount priority for Cambridge," said Liz Speakman, Director of the Community Safety Department."Through these grants, we are excited to leverage the valued resources and expertise of these community partners and supplement the vast approaches the City is already taking to create sustained change in our neighborhoods."

The City of Cambridge awarded these contracts after a thorough review of proposals received between May and June 2024. The selected organizations are required to implement their programs and services by June 30, 2025.

To learn more about the Community Safety Department, please visit www.cambridgesafety.org or email [email protected]. You can also subscribe to the Cambridge CARE Team monthly newsletter at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/tzfuwFQ.