The City of Birmingham recently awarded $200,000 in microgrants to 14 local organizations to expand violence prevention and youth intervention programs across the city.
The funds come from the city’s 2023 U.S. Department of Justice Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative grant. They will support wraparound services connected to the Jefferson County Family Resource Center and its RESTORE program, which stands for Reduce, Educate, Support, Train, Organize, Realize and Empower.
The services will include mentorship, workforce readiness, education support, life coaching and family stabilization programs for court-involved, at-risk and high-risk youth ages 11 to 19.
“This investment is intentional,” Mayor Randall Woodfin said. “We are prioritizing organizations that are closest to the work and closest to the individuals most impacted by violence. These groups are trusted, credible and already making a difference in our communities. By resourcing them, we are strengthening what works and building a more coordinated, effective violence prevention ecosystem.”
The 14 microgrant recipients are Anitra’s Light, Community Care Development Network, BuildUP + Tactical Community Action, Be Kind Birmingham, What About Us, Grace Klein Community, Youth Towers, Rebirth Community Corporation, Our Community Bridge, Harmony & Heritage, Crescent Cultural Community Center, Genius (GenTu), I Love Me More + Partners Uplifting Our Daughters and Sons, and Inspire Justice.
City officials said the organizations represent a cross-section of Birmingham’s community-based leadership groups already doing the work and are now equipped to deepen and scale their impact.
“Through these microgrants, the City is strengthening the intervention side of the RESTORE program by expanding a trusted network of providers who can engage youth earlier, more consistently, and with the level of trust required to be effective,” city officials said. “This targeted approach focuses on those most at risk, aligning with evidence-based strategies for reducing violence.”
Several recipients also participated in last year’s Community Violence Intervention Practitioner Program at Miles College in partnership with Rise Up Bham.
Uche Bean, Birmingham’s director of Community Safety Initiatives, said she is confident the investment will help reduce violence in the city.
“We’re investing in what works: trusted organizations, credible messengers, and real relationships,” Bean said. “This is how we reach young people earlier, interrupt cycles of violence, and build safer communities in a way that lasts for generations.”
