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August 16-22, 2005

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The Minneapolis Foundation Funds Youth Violence Prevention in North Minneapolis

The board of trustees of The Minneapolis Foundation responded to the increased challenges faced in North Minneapolis by granting more than $370,000 to six organizations that are actively involved with intervention strategies focused on preventing youth violence in the community. Designed to build on existing programs that need financial support, these grants are the first of several initiatives to be taken over the next two years to stem youth violence in Minneapolis.

"We've participated in a number of meetings involving Northside organizations, and there is an immediate need to get more people out on the street directly dealing with youth violence in the community," says Karen Kelley-Ariwoola, TMF's vice president of community philanthropy. "These grants are going to organizations that are not afraid to face this problem head-on, and empower youth to break the cycle of violence."

Phase one grantees:

  • African American Men's Project — The program's Right Turn Initiative provides one-on-one mentoring to young men seeking to leave a life of violence and crime. The grant will fund the first phase of a project expansion that will focus on youth ages 12-17.

  • J. Cameron & Associates /Achieve!Mpls — This firm has developed the "Girls in Action" program, designed to decrease violent and self-destructive behavior among high school girls. The grant will provide a full school year of weekly programming for 100 girls at North Community High.

  • MAD DADS — MAD DADS sends volunteers and paid outreach staff onto the streets of Minneapolis to talk to individuals involved in street life and to the families living in neighborhoods threatened by violence. The grant will allow the organization to increase its capacity for both street outreach and follow-up work.

  • Operation Resurrection — By providing immediate and follow-up grief and loss counseling to individuals and families exposed to street violence in Minneapolis, Operation Resurrection works to curb violent reprisals and other destructive responses. The grant will support staff and administrative resources for the program.

  • Uhuru Solutions — The grant will provide one year of funding for additional young outreach workers for "Project Safe Streets" to work on the streets of Minneapolis, talking with other young people still involved in gangs and providing them with educational and employment opportunities as an alternative to crime and gang activities

  • Urban Youth Conservation — Led by ex-gang-affiliated individuals, the program strives to maintain positive relationships and credibility with youth involved in the Minneapolis drug trade. The grant will assist in finding employment for youth and provide support to transition into a life off the streets.

The request for proposals (RFP) titled "A Community Response to Violence on the Northside: A Request for Proposals to Build on Existing Youth Violence Intervention Efforts in North Minneapolis" was distributed to North Minneapolis groups on July 22, 2005. To continue to expand youth violence prevention efforts in Minneapolis, another RFP will be issued in the spring of 2006.

For more information on the Minneapolis Foundation, visit their Web site.

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