The Louisville Metro Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods granted $5,000 to 10 organizations to host community gathering events.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — To help combat the onslaught of violence in the city, the Louisville Metro Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods had it’s third annual “Safe Summer Kickoff” on Saturday. The outreach events are focused on communities that either consistently or have recently seen an uptick in violence.
Kickoffs are occurred at 10 different locations across the city, and set the stage for the rest of their summer programs as well. It’s an opportunity for multiple non-profits to partner with the Metro Government to bring the community together for some fun and connection.
“Anywhere we can give our kids space we’re going to give them that space to enjoy themselves,” Charles Marshall, the principal of Meyzeek Middle School, said.
The school parking lot was a location where Smoketown neighborhood kids and teenagers could unwind, hang out, get free food and other amenities.
“The youth, they want opportunities like this,” Marshall said. “They want spaces for them to be themselves, to have fun, to learn and to have adults around them as role models to care about them.”
These organizations are unifying neighborhoods that have seen violence on their streets. While also getting some financial help from OSHN to supply these events.
“They gave us $5,000 to do all of this and we used it well,” Richard Wilson, the youth service coordinator at Meyzeek Middle School. “Use it to have fun for the kids and provide free everything for them. We also gave toiletries, different packs to help them with needs they might not have at home.”
Another kick off was also funded at Sheppard Park in the Russell neighborhood. WHAS11 caught up with Antonio Taylor, the co-director of Hip Hop N2 Learning, while grilling some free hotdogs for the community.
“We are providing food,” Taylor said. “We plan to feed 100 people today. We also have performances by The Real Young Prodigys who are a part of our non-profit. They are mostly known for being a social media, social justice hip hop group.”
These non-profits were also tasked to invite community resources like health screening and mental healthcare organizations.
Multiple teenagers at these events said it’s paramount to their community and growth.
“It makes me more stronger and more powerful to learn about how to join the communities,” Jackson Hardin, a Russell neighborhood resident, said.
“It’s important that we have days like this community because so often we can only focus on the bad news,” Genesis Hatchett, a spokesperson for HHN2L, said. “The bad stuff that happens in this neighborhood when there are good people out here.”
The “Safer Summer Kickoff” is a day of leisure for a the next generation that hopes to curb the stress of violence near their homes.
OSHN is also partnering with the Funds for the Arts and the YMCA of Greater Louisville to plan and manage the upcoming summer youth programs that will follow after the kickoff. To find a list of these events click here.
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