New “Supporting Safer Communities” program will implement Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s Community Violence Intervention Initiative

MIAMI – April 10, 2023 – The Carrie Meek Foundation, Inc., will award $7.3 million in grant funding through the Supporting Safer Communities Grant Program (SSC Program), a component of Miami-Dade County’s Community Violence Intervention Initiative (CVI). The request for proposals seeks projects that further build and strengthen the community-based response to gun violence in our county.

The SSC Program, a partnership between The Carrie Meek Foundation and Miami-Dade County’s Office of Neighborhood Safety, seeks to:

• Increase the availability of resources that support residents impacted by violence and improve safety in their neighborhoods;

• Increase access to, and use of, services that address the root causes of violence in communities and help residents thrive;

• Mobilize and activate residents to engage with projects and initiatives that build safer and supportive communities across the County; and

• Support and amplify efforts that have a positive impact on violence reduction.

With unanimous support from the Board of County Commissioners, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava invested $8.9 million in the Community Violence Intervention Initiative to combat gun violence through community-led prevention, intervention, and reentry strategies.

"Miami-Dade County is taking historic steps to curb gun violence,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Our residents deserve to live free from the threat of gun violence and so we are investing in a multi-pronged approach to not only reduce these crimes, but also to address their underlying causes. Law enforcement and government cannot tackle this alone, and through this partnership with the foundation created by the late Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek, we are amplifying and supporting the role that grassroots and community organizations must play in reducing gun violence and creating safer communities where all residents can thrive.”

The SSC Program is a hyper-local, neighborhood-based effort to reduce gun violence and its impact on residents across the county. The Foundation is accepting proposals from April 5 through May 12, 2023 at 5 p.m. ET. Nonprofits, grassroots groups, residents, small neighborhood-based organizations, faith-based organizations, civic and other community-serving organizations are eligible to apply. Projects should improve quality of life and engage those at high potential for involvement in gun violence, including reentry support for those returning from incarceration, deploying highrisk violence interventionists, and providing mental health and survivor support services. The SSC Program will also support grassroots anti-violence projects that expand access to spaces, activities, services and relationships that develop children and youth. Visit CarrieMeekFoundation.org/SaferCommunity to view the program guidelines and submit a proposal.

“Valuable solutions that can improve neighborhood safety and help break the cycle of violence are embedded within the communities and residents most impacted, but are often overlooked,” said Lucia Davis-Raiford, president and CEO of The Carrie Meek Foundation. “The County’s funding, with the Foundation’s unique ability to unite service partners across sectors, allows the Supporting Safer Communities Grant Program to build more effective collaborations that reach residents where they are. That’s key to Miami-Dade’s ability to betterrespond to gun violence.”

The Foundation is hosting informational sessions throughout the county and will provide help for interested applicants to understand the program’s goals, review the application and complete their proposal. Dates and times are subject to change and more sessions will be added soon; please visit CarrieMeekFoundation.org/SaferCommunity for the most updated list.

• April 12, 6 – 8 p.m. at Florida City’s City Hall: 404 W. Palm Drive, Florida City, RSVP on Eventbrite

• April 25, 6 – 8 p.m. at North Dade Regional Library: 2455 NW 183rd Street, Miami Gardens

• April 26, 6 – 8 p.m. at Joseph Caleb Center: 5400 NW 22nd Avenue, Miami Additionally, support resources are available for applicants, including office hours and webinars.To review the program guidelines, frequently asked questions and/or apply, applicants should visit CarrieMeekFoundation.org/SaferCommunity. For additional information email SaferCommunity@CarrieMeekFoundation.org or call 305-537-6791.

About The Carrie Meek Foundation: The Carrie Meek Foundation, Inc. was founded by Congresswoman Carrie P. Meek to advance her vision for civically engaged, well-resourced and resilient communities. We help improve the lives of residents in Miami-Dade County and the larger South Florida community through Education, Housing, Health, and Economic Development. Learn more about how we put her legacy into action at carriemeekfoundation.org