During a press conference held Wednesday at Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church, the Community Foundation of Central Georgia was joined by Mayor Lester Miller and community leaders to announce the second round of Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) grant recipients. $860,500 will be awarded to 31 local organizations to continue or start programs focused on long term violent crime prevention and aligned with the goals of the community-generated MVP Strategic Plan.
“Thanks to the leadership of the Community Foundation, we are able to fund greatly-needed support and services directly to children and families all over the county,” said Mayor Miller. “The promising work of the first round of grantees and the quality of the new proposals inspired us to increase the total award this year by $235,500 from the planned $625,000.”
“We remain committed to the work of strengthening our community and decreasing violent crime by supporting programs like the ones we are announcing our support for today,” said Kathryn Dennis, President of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. “There are no quick fixes for preventing violent crime in our community. Instead, the MVP program is committed to a multi-faceted, collaborative approach that pairs financial investment with targeted strategies and encourages innovation and community involvement,” added Dennis.
The Macon Violence Prevention program began in 2021 when Mayor Miller brought community leaders together to address violent crime using evidence-based solutions. Using feedback from 14 community forums and a series of community-wide surveys, these leaders developed the Macon Violence Prevention Strategic Plan.
“From literacy programs to family counseling to mental health services to activities that teach problem solving skills, I am confident these MVP programs will help create a stronger, safer community,” said Mayor Miller. “I want to thank everyone for stepping forward to address the issues we all face.”
“Preventing violent crime in our community is a long-term effort, and we fully expect to build on the progress we’ve begun to see,” adds Kathryn Dennis. “This is the work our entire community needs to rally behind. Together we can make a difference. Step up, and get involved with one of these organizations. As President Kennedy believed, ‘One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.’”
About Macon Violence Prevention
Macon Violence Prevention is an evidence-based, multifaceted program created to address public safety in Macon-Bibb County. Supported and funded by the consolidated government, MVP is a community-wide effort that brings together elected officials, community leaders and representatives from more than 20 agencies, organizations and departments.
The MVP program operates under the guidance of the MVP Strategic Plan, which was created in June of 2021 by community stakeholders and violent crime experts. The plan combines data and research with community feedback to identify and implement proven solutions that reduce violent crime and strengthen the community over time.
| Applicant | Program Title | Description | Approved by CFCG Board of Directors |
| 100 Black Men of Macon-Middle Georgia, Inc. | 100 Accelerated Interest in Reading (A.I.R. 100) | A.I.R. 100 will inspire students to value reading and help to foster a love for books. This will lead to an increase in time spent reading and the development of proficient reading and comprehension skills. The program will be based at Bruce Elementary School. | $20,000.00 |
| Appleton Episcopal Ministries | Appleton “Free to Read” Summer Program | Free to Read is a comprehensive summer program focusing on reading comprehension skills for 50 rising K-3rd graders at Ingram Pye, John R. Lewis and Southfield Elementary Schools. The six-week program also provides cultural and civic education, field trips and family/parental education and support. | $15,500.00 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia | Mentoring for Change Youth Violence Prevention Program | Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Heart of Georgia will assist organizations that, due to a lack of experience, staffing, funding, safety measures, data collection, or other factors, have been unable to create a standalone youth mentoring program. BBBS will provide the support system required to create grassroots youth service programs at no charge to the organizations. | $50,000.00 |
| Boy Scouts of America – Central GA Council | Mentors in Scouting | The Mentors in Scouting program will increase the number of mentors delivering co-ed, supervised youth activities to Macon’s children and young adults ages 5-20, with a goal of providing Scouting programs to 180 youth living in areas of Macon with a high rate of crime. | $50,000.00 |
| Campus Clubs, Inc. | “Safety In Numbers” – Providing Access to Transportation and Programming for Middle and High School Students | Campus Clubs will provide job training and summer employment opportunities for teens. This funding will also enable the organization to provide transportation to students who attend their afterschool and summer programming. | $30,000.00 |
| Central Georgia CASA, Inc. | CASA Volunteers for Youth | Central Georgia CASA will recruit and train volunteers to serve a greater number of youth aged 12+ and fund staff to provide supervision and support to these volunteers. | $60,000.00 |
| Chess and Community, Inc. | Chess and Community’s Leadership Training Program (CCLTP) | Chess and Community, Inc. (CCI) prepares youth to lead by focusing on academic enrichment, civic engagement, career and entrepreneurial skills development, and cultural education. CCI develops youth to transform the community. | $45,000.00 |
| Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia | Enhancing Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence | Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia (CL&SH) will add one full-time Legal Advocate to assist victims of domestic violence and hold their offenders accountable. CLSH estimates that they will be able to serve 140 additional victims of domestic violence as a result. | $45,000.00 |
| Diamonds on Our Mind Foundation | A C.H.A.N.C.E (Creating Hope and Nurturing Community Engagement) | The Diamonds on Our Mind Foundation will give 40 Middle Georgia young men “A C.H.A.N.C.E” to interact with professionals from the medical, mental health, secondary and higher education and law enforcement career fields via multiple in-person programs. | $15,000.00 |
| Fathers Among Men (F.A.M) | Urban Scout Club | Urban Scout Club is a unique mentoring program that seeks to provide 180 youth with the opportunity for personal development through a combination of group activities and mentee coaching. | $10,000.00 |
| Georgia Legal Services Program, Inc, | Education Now for a Violence-Free Future | The Education Now for a Violence-Free Future program seeks to decrease the number of justice-involved youth who are wrongfully denied school enrollment by providing training, outreach, advocacy and support. | $25,000 |
| Girls Dig Deeper Initiative | The Winner’s Mindset | Girls Dig Deeper will offer leadership development programs designed to help young girls overcome barriers such as childhood poverty, chronic absenteeism, poor academic achievement, disability, adverse childhood experiences and community violence. This cycle “The Winner’s Mindset” program will expand to include programming for incarcerated women. | $10,000.00 |
| Grow Macon, Inc. | Shared Roots Initiative | Grow Macon is an urban community garden project dedicated to reducing food insecurity and providing more supervised youth activities while fostering character development and relationship building within their community. | $20,000.00 |
| Hope Youth Sports Association, Inc. | Helping our Youth Accomplish Goals (HYSA) | Helping our Youth Accomplish Goals (HYSA) provides opportunities for elementary and middle school students, including sports training, creative arts, mentoring and after-school STEM and video production programs to support at-risk youth. | $10,000.00 |
| Lead With Literacy | Macon Family Time | Macon Family Time is a program facilitated by highly-trained family coaches to strengthen parenting skills/family relationships and promote reading/foster literacy skills. The program consists of 11-week sessions for families held in various locations to serve families throughout Macon-Bibb. | $50,000.00 |
| Living Bread Restoration Outreach, Inc. | Victory Academy | The Victory Academy is designed to deter crime by providing young people with resources, mentoring and programming to inspire, educate and equip them to become productive citizens. | $20,000.00 |
| Macon Arts Alliance, Inc. | ANTI-VIOLENCE ACADEMY (AVA) | The Anti-Violence Academy is designed to offer youth ages 9-17 and their families enrichment activities and programs to promote positive youth, parental and family development. | $20,000.00 |
| Macon RBI | Macon RBI Program | Macon RBI allows boys and girls between the age of 12-18, from income-restricted families the opportunity to participate in youth sports.There is also a mentoring component for participating youth which supports their academic growth.
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$35,000.00 |
| Men About Change, Inc. | Supporting our “Learning for Life” Approach | Men About Change provides afterschool and summer programs for students ages 5-18. Students receive academic support, and mentorship designed to strengthen communication and conflict-resolution skills. | $40,000.00 |
| Next Level Community Development Center | DBA Camp Zion | Next Level Community Development Center will build upon last year’s framework and expand their programs to include conflict-resolution and anger- management skills for youth participants and will add fall and spring break camps for middle and high school students. | $90,000.00 |
| Next Step Recovery | Counseling and Reentry Expansion | Next Step Recovery will expand counseling and reentry services for men and women released from incarceration, probation or reentering upon completion of a substance misuse program. | $10,000.00 |
| PACE Center for Girls, Inc. | Empowering Girls Against Violence | PACE will add one Reach Therapist for a year in order to serve 30 additional young women in Bibb County. | $45,000.00 |
| Project Avalanche | Project Avalanche | Project Avalanche provides free access to academic tutoring, mentoring and cultural enrichment opportunities to students with limited economic resources. | $10,000.00 |
| Teens to Queens by Shira, Inc. | T2Q | Teens to Queens offers teenage girls a team of experts to help them develop a variety of life skills that will enable them to grow into strong, successful young women. | $10,000.00 |
| The Mentors Project of Bibb County, Inc. | Bridge Mentoring | The Mentors Project will expand their mentoring program, provided by former mentees, to Bibb County School District students in middle and high school. These former mentees, who will become mentors, are successful in both their professional and personal lives. These mentors will empower their mentees while improving social skills and school engagement. | $20,000.00 |
| The Methodist Home for Children and Youth | Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health Program | Infant-Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation is a prevention strategy which pairs mental health and early childhood professionals with families. This support strengthens family systems and promotes optimal social and emotional development. The program also helps to prevent, identify and reduce the impact of mental health challenges for children and families. | $10,000.00 |
| Two Hands International, Inc. | H20 Champions Program | Two Hands International, Inc. is a non-profit boxing gym providing a safe space for youth ages 8-18. Boxing is used to demonstrate discipline, self-confidence and self-respect. There is a mentoring component as well. | $30,000.00 |
| United Way of Central Georgia | Safe at Home | Utilizing a two-generation approach, the Safe at Home project is a place-based crime prevention strategy. The goal is to reduce the risk of property crime for 10 senior-occupied homes. Neighborhood teens will add target-hardening measures to the senior’s homes with the goal of reducing property crime in the area. The program fosters relationship-building between youth and seniors in their neighborhood in addition to preventing crime. | $15,000.00 |
| Unity-N-Community, Inc. | Live to Be Future Leaders | Unity-N-Community’s “Live to Be Future Leaders” program targets children and young adults in West and South Macon. The program offers community events featuring entertainment and food to increase community participation. A key component of these events is to provide education and resources to help prevent violent crime. | $10,000.00 |
| Wealth ASAP, Inc. | Equipped for Life | Equipped for Life is a carpentry internship program for at-risk youth with Wealth ASAP Inc.’s community partners Assembly Brothers, LLC. | $20,000.00 |
| YouthUp, Inc. | Empowering Youth for a Safer Macon-Bibb | YouthUp will provide anger- management/conflict-resolution courses to all students attending Appling Middle, Northeast High, Ballard Hudson Middle and Southwest High Schools. | $20,000.00 |
| Total Awarded | $860,500.00 |