Shawnee County Coalition Seeks Community Input, Receives Federal Grant To Build Violence Reduction Program
The Community Inspired Violence Intervention Coalition (CIVIC), a recently formed team of individuals and community organizations, received a transformational grant to build an evidence-based violence prevention program. They're currently seeking community input through an online survey and a series of town halls in April.
In January, CIVIC was chosen as one of 4 teams nationwide to receive funding by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The goals of this grant are to complete a comprehensive community violence needs assessment and develop a community-led violence intervention program using a public health approach using community data to drive the focus.
In March, they received a larger, second grant, from the Department of Justice Federal Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP), which will allow the coalition, through YWCA Northeast Kansas, to hire new program staff and implement a nationally recognized, evidence-based community violence intervention strategy. Funding and stakeholder collaboration will be vital in fulfilling budget needs surrounding other areas of the program and sustainability long-term.
Danielle Twemlow became invested in the coalition's work to address violence from a public health perspective, "Violence is an epidemic, and racial disparities in Topeka and Shawnee County have created a public health crisis," she said. “The homicide rate for Black and African American residents is ten times higher than that of white residents. We see this alarming disparity with other social determinants of health factors in our community like the infant mortality rate. Black and brown infants die at a rate 3.8x that of white babies in Shawnee County. These grants give CIVIC the opportunity to create real change, through an intentional, transparent, community centered process."
YWCA Northeast Kansas is the fiscal agent for both grants, and CIVIC joins the programs and services already provided by the organization. YWCA Director of Operations Courtland Davis has been a member of the coalition from the beginning. “The inspiration for our coalition comes directly from the community, and our work starts there. This is also personal for me. I have felt the direct impact of community violence since the age of fifteen when I attended the first of many funerals of friends who lost their lives to gun violence. The fact that my organization was willing and able to take on this program says a lot about our commitment to the community and promoting peace, equity and justice for all” he said. “YWCA is no stranger to anti-violence work. Many people are familiar with the Center for Safety and Empowerment, and CIVIC is a natural fit alongside our other programs.”
Right now, CIVIC’s priority is to collect feedback from community members, especially those at highest risk of experiencing violence. Everyone in Shawnee County is asked to complete the Community Violence Survey, and attend one of three town halls scheduled in April:
Saturday, April20, from 11:00am to 1:00pm, at Central Park Community Center (1534 SW Clay St)
Monday, April22, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm , at Oakland Community Center (801NE Poplar St)
Saturday, April27, from 11:00am to 1:00pm, at Hillcrest Community Center (1800 SE 21st St)
There will be food, children’s activities, and gift cards for participants while supplies last at each town hall. If you would like to obtain bus passes to attend or want more information on how you can get involved, please email cvi@ywcaneks.org. The survey link and town hall information can be found at www.ywcaneks.org/civic.
