Harlem Receives Funding For Youth Gun Violence Prevention Programs

HARLEM, NY — In the continued battle against youth gun violence, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. has awarded $20,000 each to eight community-based organizations for their preventive initiatives.

Of this year's recipients, half are based in Harlem.

“Since the launch of this initiative, we have driven down shootings by nearly 40 percent in Manhattan through targeted prosecutions and strategic community investments," Bragg said.

The funding enables community-based organizations to offer summer stipends to young New Yorkers, allowing them to engage in valuable programming such as mentorships and workshops focused on conflict resolution and leadership skills.

Additionally, the money supports efforts to improve and beautify public spaces that are known hotspots for gun violence.

"For the last three summers, our youth gun violence prevention initiative has served the future generation of young New Yorkers across the borough, all with the goal of reducing gun violence and keeping Manhattan safe," Bragg added. "I am honored to award these eight dedicated community-based organizations with funding to engage and employ young people, and I look forward to seeing the outcome of this summer’s projects."

The funding was given to organizations with strong records of employing individuals who have experienced gun violence. These organizations provide localized programming in neighborhoods and NYCHA developments that are most affected by gun violence.

Here are the four Harlem organizations that received funding this year:

• Not Another Child (East Harlem)
• Muslim Community Network (Central Harlem)
• Street Corner Resources (West Harlem)
• Police Athletic League (Central Harlem)

With their portion of the funding, Not Another Child will engage ten local kids through two weekly workshops, mentorship, field experiences, survivor experience workshops and the creation of a community development mural.

Participants will be provided with information and strategies to help them develop cognitive-behavioral skills and learn restorative justice principles.

“Our gun violence intervention program empowers youth and young adults to transform their lives, offering hope, opportunity, and a path to a brighter future,” said Justin Napper, Director of Youth Programs and Services for Not Another Participants will have mentors and will organize community events like clean-ups, sports and cultural celebrations.

Muslim Community Network will engage ten young New Yorkers through workshops and seminars to teach them about their rights, responsibilities and the effects of gun violence.

Participants will have mentors and will organize community events like clean-ups, sports and cultural celebrations. They will also receive mental health support and counseling, along with additional workshops on job readiness and financial literacy.

“We are deeply honored to receive this funding and assist from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office,” said Husein Yatabarry, Executive Director, Muslim Community Network. “The support will enable us to implement culturally responsive programming aimed at preventing gun violence among young adults in Central Harlem. At the Muslim Community Network, we believe in the power of community-driven solutions and are committed to fostering a safer, more inclusive environment for all."

Police Athletic League, or PAL, will hold weekly 90-minute empowerment sessions with ten teens at its Harlem Center.

Guided by a licensed social worker, participants will examine the effects of gun violence on their lives, families, and communities. They will become agents of change, developing skills to mediate conflicts and challenge harmful community norms.

“We are proud and honored for the Police Athletic League to be a recipient of a gun violence prevention grant from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office,” said Carlos Velazquez, PAL Executive Director. "We are working with PAL teens to focus on new and meaningful ways to disrupt gun violence and explore the impact of gun violence on their lives, families and communities. We stand firmly beside our youth as they face obstacles in their day-to-day lives growing up in neighborhoods that can present many challenges."

With $20,000 from Street Corner Resources, young New Yorkers will be given work assignments either at Street Corner Resources or with another partner organization. The ten participants will participate in enrichment activities, weekly peer group sessions, receive conflict resolution support and have access to additional services.

Guest speakers and professionals will be invited to share their experiences, helping to connect participants with potential mentors.

"Street Corner Resources thanks District Attorney Alvin Bragg for this critical funding," said Iesha Sekou, founder and CEO of Street Corner Resources. “For the third consecutive year, we will be able to use this investment in our work to engage with young people during the summer months."

This year’s awards will bring the total number of young New Yorkers benefiting from the D.A.’s Office summer gun violence prevention initiative to approximately 420.

Since D.A. Bragg launched the program in Summer 2022, shooting incidents have decreased by 39 percent, and there are 37 percent fewer shooting victims in Manhattan, according to Bragg’s office.