Gun Violence Prevention Program - -
MAKING A DIFFERENCE...ONE LIFE AT A TIME
Who We Are
Our Street Outreach team responds to incidents involving gun violence to help mediate the conflict and prevent retaliatory actions between those who are at-risk to commit a future crime or become victims.
Building Better Futures (BBF) assists individuals in the Auburn-Gresham and Chatham communities who are victims or survivors of gun violence by providing a variety of services.
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Our FREE services, include Street Outreach and Prevention; Victim Services; Education Remediation; Job Readiness and Professional Development; Life Skills Development and Construction Training.
Our Victim Services include burial assistance, mental health referrals, food assistance, housing referrals and more.
The Need
Play Me
About eight-in-ten murders in the U.S. in 2021 – 20,958 out of 26,031, or 81% – involved a firearm. That marked the highest percentage since at least 1968.
Preventing firearm deaths requires a comprehensive approach and various partners from across sectors working directly with communities to decrease imbalances and increase resiliency and well-being.
Program Components
Street Outreach & Prevention
Our Street Outreach team responds to incidents involving gun violence to help mediate the conflict and prevent retaliatory actions between those who are at-risk to commit a future crime or become victims.
Our team engages with high-risk individuals in a variety of settings, including street corners, parks, homes, schools, community centers and hospitals. Our efforts are typically conducted in the afternoons, evenings, or late at night.
Our team has years of experience and successes in diffusing active gun violence situations, counseling victims and survivors, and introducing alternative approaches that can be used to help reduce retaliation and keep further violence from taking place.
Services available to Victims
Our Victim Services team supports victims of gun violence by assisting them in overcoming the trauma of their experience. Our goal is to provide access to a variety of services that may be needed to help restore their lives.
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We support victims and their families by providing immediate basic needs such as, burial, food, clothing and housing assistance, and more.
We also connect victims and survivors to important resources to address their experienced trauma, mental health, etc. to help stabilize their lives.
Remediation and Construction Training
A lack of quality education and opportunities can leave individuals without hope for the future and increase their likelihood of engaging in violent behavior.
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We are near the completion of our 1st training cohort.
The 2nd cohort of our BBF* training program is open to men and women in the Chatham and Auburn-Gresham Communities who are 18-40 years old, with those receiving our outreach or victim services receiving priority.
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*Note program changed from 11 weeks, 15 classes.
How to Participate in the Remediation and Construction Training
The 11-week remediation and training component of the program consists of 3 weeks of life rebuilding and remediation training and 8 weeks of basic construction training that can lead to more advanced training in the glass and window installation and heavy highway fields of construction.
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We have begun our 2nd cohort but can accommodate additional individuals residing in Auburn Gresham and Chatham will be accepted into the training program.
The construction training will be conducted by two Chicago area construction firms Glasstek, specializing in glass and window installation and Allstate Concrete Cutting, specializing in concrete cutting and demolition. By learning the basics of these trades participants will obtain sufficient information to determine if they would like to pursue a job and ultimately a career in construction.
To Participate.
You must complete our assessment to determine your knowledge of basic math and English comprehension.
The link to the assessment is at the bottom of this section.
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More information is included on the assessment.
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Priority will be given to applicants who were assisted by our street outreach, victim services or case management team.
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Once you complete the assessment, we will contact you to let you know if you have been accepted into the program.
Once accepted, participants must commit to attending the program’s group and individual training and coaching sessions, as well as completing all required assignments.
With the guidance and instruction of our highly qualified and experienced team, participants receive the following training and supportive services:
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Conflict Mediation and Resolution
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Substance Abuse Support (if needed)
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Paid Transportation to Attend Training
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Financial Stipend for Successfully Completing the Training
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Mental Health Assistance (if needed)
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Job Readiness and LifeSkills Training
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Hands-on Construction Training
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Help With Basic Math and Reading.
We know that many individuals were unable to learn some math functions while in school. Because a basic knowledge of addition and subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions is required for a job in construction, we provide a one-hour education session each week before we get into the construction training, to help ensure that all participants can perform these math functions.
Participants in 1st session of construction training in glass installation.
Here are some of the items you receive for participating in the training...gloves, screw drivers, masks, hammers and more.