Philadelphia announced $2.2 million in grants Thursday for antiviolence programs at five community organizations, the first money awarded from a new $22 million program to help address the city’s gun violence crisis.
Ranging in size from $1 million to $117,000, the grants will go to organizations that provide housing assistance, mentorship programs, trauma counseling, job training, and youth music programs.
City Council and Mayor Jim Kenney touted the program as a highlight of the budget deal they reached in June, and said that funding community groups would transform the way the city addresses gun violence. Kenney called the awarding of the first grants “a critical milestone” and said more would follow in the coming weeks.
The city received a total of 212 applications and is aiming to award all money by mid-November, said Kenney administration spokesperson Kevin Lessard.
City officials initially said the money would start going out to community groups in September. The application deadline was later extended — and the city has $20 million left to award. The projects that get funded must launch or operate between this fall and next summer, according to the city’s requirements.
The groups and programs in the first round include:
- ManUpPHL will get $242,768 for its mentoring program that teaches young men about the causes and effects of gun violence. The grant will fund several groups of participants in the two-week program, with each receiving $240 and a job offer from a partner organization.