Allegheny County, PA − January 23, 2025 – Senator Nick Pisciottano (D-Allegheny) today applauded the announcement of a total of $16,944,691 in funding for organizations in Allegheny County, including $9,511,747 for agencies serving the 45th District, from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for anti-violence community organizations.
“I am happy to support these grants to organizations in Allegheny County working to make our communities safer,” said Pisciottano. “It is important for the Commonwealth to make these smart public investments by funding proven strategies to reduce crime, lower recidivism, and support our youth.”
The awards were made by PCCD’s School Safety and Security Committee through the Building Opportunity Through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) Grants and the Violence Intervention & Prevention (VIP) Grants.
Pisciottano said the grants provide funding for structured programming opportunities for at-risk school-age youth and violence intervention and prevention initiatives.
Awardees in Allegheny County and serving the 45th Senate District include:
- Allegheny Youth Development – $139,520 in BOOST funding to expand its SEL programming and overall service capacity to improve the lives of children.
- Early Excellence Project – $235,446 in BOOST funding to expand the High Impact Tutoring Program to out-of-school time (OST) settings.
- Hopebound Ministries, Inc. (dba Mooncrest Neighborhood Programs) – $79,000 in BOOST funding to support a free 10-week summer camp program and a free after-school program serving children in an underserved neighborhood.
- Learning Disabilities Association of Pennsylvania – $60,000 in BOOST funding to provide high-quality reading instruction to at-risk youth within communities with higher needs.
- Melting Pot Ministries – $250,000 in BOOST funding to provide out-of-school time (OST) services to at-risk youth.
- North Hills Affordable Housing (dba HEARTH) – $250,000 in BOOST funding to expand its on-site out-of-school time programming for children and youth in its transitional housing program.
- SLB Radio Productions Inc. – $192,410 in BOOST funding to provide a full day, 5 days/week, 6-week OST program for at-risk teens.
- Steel City Squash, Inc. – $250,000 in BOOST funding to expand its out-of-school time programming that utilizes education, athletics, and mentorship to empower under-resourced youth to achieve academic, athletic, and personal success.
- Volunteers of America of Pennyslvania – $208,184 in BOOST funding to enhance its OST program.
- Youth Opporunities Development – $138,225 in BOOST funding to provide daily, year-round afterschool and summer programming for underserved youth in Clairton, PA.
- Pennsylvania Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs – $1,500,000 in BOOST funding to expand statewide OST services for school-aged at-risk youth.
- Pennsylvania State Alliance of YMCAs – $1,500,000 in BOOST funding to provide safe, supervised and structured programming for over 15,800 at-risk youth at 14 Pennsylvania YMCA Associations throughout the Commonwealth.
- 1Hood Media – $620,000 in VIP funding to expand and enhance their We Keep Us Safe (WKUS) media literacy and violence prevention program for young adults.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh – $900,000 in VIP funding to provide evidence-based youth mentoring programs at five schools in Pittsburgh’s Eastern suburbs.
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania – $950,000 in VIP funding to provide no-cost, virtual and in-person mental healthcare, and counseling services.
- Café Momentum Pittsburgh – $914,300 in VIP funding to provide justice-impacted youth with paid, comprehensive workforce development internships.
- Carnegie Library of Homestead – $582,666 in VIP funding to expand and enhance their Youth Development and Restorative Justice Program.
- Foundation of HOPE – $949,253 in VIP funding to expand their reentry program and their collaboration with the Greater Pittsburgh Area MAD DADS initiative to enable returning citizens to be financially compensated for participating in street outreach and violence prevention programs.
- Homewood Children’s Village – $950,000 in VIP funding to support its Holistic Anti-Violence Education Network (HAVEN) program.
- The Legacy Arts Project – $434,840 in VIP funding to implement the expansion of Drums Not Guns, a culturally enriching program to reduce gun violence and participation in gang activity.
- University of Pittsburgh – $949,856 in VIP funding to support expansion of the Empowering Teens to Thrive (ET3) hospital-based violence intervention program and community-based mentorship program for youth injured or impacted by community violence.
- Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh – $500,000 in VIP funding to expand the efforts of the Legal Advocacy Department’s work with high-risk intimate partner violence (IPV) victims in danger of firearm violence.
- Youth Enrichment Services, Inc. – $950,000 in VIP funding to enhance its youth-led peer engagement and violence prevention programming.
- Phase 4 Learning Center, Inc. – $949,991 in VIP funding to expand its P4: 247 CommUNITY program, which provides culturally sensitive, trauma-informed mentoring and counseling interventions.
- Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) – $950,000 to connect recently released individuals with gun-related offenses to transitional paid employment, peer support, and community resources to reduce recidivism.
- Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association – $591,000 to enhance its statewide programs that combat and reduce community violence, domestic violence, and intimate partner violence.
- Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence – $950,000 to address gun violence among those also experiencing domestic violence through the expansion of its community-led strategies to intervene in and respond to domestic violence (DV).
More information about the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the grants it awards can be found at www.pccd.pa.gov.