Neighborhood safety grants awarded to 11 San Francisco non-profits

• Awardees serve districts with many Filipino immigrants and seniors

Attorney George Gascón

SAN FRANCISCO, California – District Attorney George Gascón June 10 awarded Neighborhood Justice Fund grants to 11 community organizations.

The grants are awarded by the District Attorney’s Office for the sole purpose of benefitting nonprofit 501(c)3 organizations that enhance the safety, livability and cohesion of San Francisco’s neighborhoods. Funding for the grants are a result of revenue collected from Neighborhood Court directives.

“These worthy organizations are working to make San Francisco safer and more sustainable,” said District Attorney George Gascón.

“The Neighborhood Justice Fund is empowering communities to get engaged and take action to improve neighborhoods, our youth, and pedestrian safety,” he added

The 11 grants benefit an array of organizations that represent a cross section of neighborhood beneficiaries including young people, seniors and families,” said Board President David Chiu who participated in the announcement in his district.

Non-profits seeking consideration for a Neighborhood Justice Fund grant were required to be located in San Francisco, demonstrate a long-term benefit for the district, be accompanied by a time bound schedule, enhance the livability of the district and be requesting funds for projects within the demonstrated capacity of the applying organization.

“Their thoughtfulness, creativity and commitment is inspiring, and it comes at a time when we need to dig deeper to enhance pedestrian safety,” Chiu said.

The current grant cycle emphasized projects on pedestrian safety, security improvements and summer community mobilization and empowerment.

Project proposals were reviewed by a panel for technical compliance and chosen based on its recommendations and the diversity of districts represented. Grants awarded during the 2014 disbursement are required to be completed between June 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014.

Grants were awarded for the following projects:

Organization: Livable City Pedestrian Fund

Project: Pedestrian Safety Trainings: Pedestrian safety trainings and walk audits in areas with a high concentration of injuries to pedestrians.

Neighborhoods served: Mission, Southern, and Tenderloin

Organization: Portola Neighborhood Association

Project: A Safer San Bruno Initiative: Pedestrian safety outreach and education along San Bruno Avenue corridor.

Neighborhoods served: Bayview

Organization: Outer Noriega Merchants Association

Project: Safe & Slow at 45th: Pedestrian safety awareness campaign and purchase of traffic safety equipment for dangerous intersection.

Neighborhoods served: Taraval

Organization: Self Help for the Elderly

Project: Pedestrian Safety for Seniors: Outreach campaign to enhance pedestrian safety for Limited English Proficient seniors.

Neighborhoods served: Central / Richmond / Southern / Taraval / Tenderloin / Visitacion Valley

Organization: Glide Foundation

Project: Security Team Training: Training program for front line staff to effectively use harm reduction strategies/outreach support when interacting with impoverished clients in and around the area.

Neighborhoods served: Tenderloin

Organization: Japantown Task Force

Project: Business Watch Group: Outreach and education effort aimed at merchants/businesses to cut crime in the Japantown community.

Neighborhoods served: Northern

Organization: Wu Yee Children’s Services

Project: Site Safety: Installation of exterior lighting system and anti-loitering sound system that aims to deter after hours loitering, sleeping, and drug use in front of child development center.

Neighborhoods served: Tenderloin

Organization: Bayview Association for Youth

Project: School is My Hustle: Anti-Bullying Day: Mentorship program that develops strategies to address violence and bullying in public schools.

Neighborhoods served: Bayview, Southern, and Mission

Organization: Carleton B. Goodlett Institute

Project: HERO Program (Health, Education, Recreation, and Opportunity):

Sports program that teaches conflict resolution, independent thinking, and critical life skills to elementary school children.

Neighborhoods served: Park District

Organization: Friends of the AMP (Amphitheater in the Park)

Project: Building Community Through Concerts: Support the Volunteer Docent Program in a series of concerts at Jerry Garcia Amphitheater in McLaren Park.

Neighborhoods served: Ingleside

Organization: Sunset Youth Services

Project: Safe Summer Media Project: Youth led digital art projects to draw attention to drugs, gun violence, gangs, and other neighborhood safety concerns.

Neighborhoods served: Taraval

Each project receives $3,000 in grant money. A total of $33,000 will be distributed to the 11 different projects.