Centro CHA Lead Non-profit seeks to engage cross-sector collaboration to promote Community Safe in Parks and School neighborhoods in the City of Long Beach.

Centro CHA Inc. (Centro CHA) is requesting grant funding in the amount of $1.5 million under funding Category 1 to support, a local collaborative approach that would meet the diverse needs and supports for highest need groups of our perspective communities and neighborhoods to disrupt racial and generation cycle of violence among vulnerable highrisk youth and younger adults ages 16-24 and identified as disproportionately impacted by violence particularly among homicides, shootings, and aggravated assaults, arrests and in hot spot zip codes reporting higher rates of violent crimes, (90802, 90804, 90805, 90806, 90810, 90813) and achieve overall goal to improve public health and safety. The objective of the grant project is 1) Improve and expand current CVI Strategies that prioritize the needs of the community and build public awareness 2) Engage community residents and stakeholders most affected by violence to create solutions and guide program development, implementation, and evaluation. 3) cultivate key partnerships with CBO’s Public Safety/Public Health and city resources such as youth/family centers, Parks, Libraries, Schools, and Churches, to build capacity address the lack of safe spaces for violence intervention and reentry services. Centro CHA will serve as the lead applicant to track and document progress of the Planning Team/Working Group. Our proposed strategies include: 1) Formalize a coalition strategic plan and governance process, common vision system-wide performance goals, identify roles and stakeholder involvement, recruitment methods, management and adequate staffing 2) Ramp up community organizing and leadership development efforts focused on culturally relevant park access, health/racial equity , youth development, reentry services, and digital storytelling to cultivate people, resources, and media advocacy tactics; 3) Engage members in power mapping, research needs, and cost savings assessment and campaign development 4) Evaluate measurable outcomes and learn how our strategies can be adjusted to best support community-led change and resiliency; And doing what is necessary to operationalize park access agreements, health/racial equity, comprehensive community based reentry services, systems for agency cross-referrals and data sharing, and evidence-informed practices, tools, and programs. The Collaborative will seek to build on our current reentry service model by expanding services, build capacity of local CBO’s to increase reach through the joint use of community based cultural centers/ HUBS located North West, Central and Downtown Long Beach (ex. Houghton Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Admiral Kidd Park, Drake Park and Cesar E. Chavez Park, Latino/African-American/Cambodian Cultural Centers, Centro CHA Inclusive Workforce and Economic Development Center).