Pittsburgh, Pa. − March 9, 2022 − Today, Senator Costa announcSenator Costa Announces $100K in Grants to Prevent Community Violenceed the award of nearly $100,000 in state grant money for local organizations to do violence prevention work.

“We hear about acts of violence after they’ve occurred, but I want to draw attention to and support for the organizations that are dedicated to preventing the next act of violence,” said Senator Costa. “Today’s grants are going to very worthy organizations doing life saving work. I’m so glad we were able to offer them state level support as they improve our local community.”Senator Costa Announces $100K in Grants to Prevent Community Violence

Three organizations in the 43rd senatorial district will receive funding for projects that promote safer neighborhoods after a competitive application process statewide.

  • Great Pittsburgh Area MAD DADs will receive $11,947. MAD DADS is an acronym for Men Against Destruction-Defending Against Drugs and Social-Disorder. MAD DADS, INC. was founded in May of 1989 by a group of concerned Omaha, Nebraska parents who were fed up with gang violence and the unmolested flow of illegal drugs in our community.
  • Greater Valley Community Services will receive $36,205. Greater Valley Community Services is a nonprofit organization that believes all persons deserve the chance to develop in a nurturing, safe, and established environment.
  • The Pittsburgh Contingency will receive $44,803 for its South Pittsburgh Peacemakers Outreach Team. The South Pittsburgh Peacemakers consists of South Pittsburgh intervention specialists and a chaplain, who are trained peace makers, violence interrupters and outreach workers designed to prevent shootings by identifying and mediating potentially lethal conflicts in our communities.

Today’s grants are awarded by the PA Commission on Crime & Delinquency as art of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is designed to create and foster safer neighborhoods through a sustained reduction in violent crime, including, but not limited to, addressing criminal gangs and the felonious possession and use of firearms and projects that support innovative cooperative efforts and partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement engaged in a unified approach led by the U.S. Attorney in all 94 districts to identify and prevent violent crime. 

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