Roseland residents and community stakeholders collaborated on a plan that focuses on services to curb the area’s violence.
The coalition said that social services, mentoring, and local employment opportunities for ex-offenders are the key to a solution for violence prevention in Roseland. The Safety Action Plan for the Greater Roseland Community is the result of this work and was unveiled to an audience of more than 75 people on Thursday, Sept. 29 at Metropolitan Family Services Calumet Center.
“It was very informative and inspiring,”13-year Roseland resident Angela Russell said. “The information shared gave me a broader idea of the needs in Roseland and I realize how I can do more to give support and affect change.”
The violence prevention plan is a product of Get IN Chicago’s Community Collaboration and Resident Engagement (CCRE) initiative, implemented on the South Side by Metropolitan Family Services. CCRE addresses community violence by empowering residents and organizations to create cohesive and supportive neighborhoods, improve community safety, and bring human, intellectual, and other resources into Roseland. CCRE solicited community input for the plan from more than 300 stakeholders through focus groups, advisory council meetings, and idea rating sessions.
The plan calls for specific violence prevention initiatives such as a social services roundtable’ adult mentorship for ex-offenders, parent education, and coping with trauma; youth empowerment opportunities; block clubs; ACT at Work — a program that uses beautification projects such as snow removal, lawn care, and property preservation tasks to create jobs for those with severe barriers to employment.
The plan was submitted to Get IN Chicago on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. If approved, Get IN Chicago would provide funding to implement the violence prevention solutions identified in the plan. Residents are encouraged to continue providing feedback by emailing actinfo@metrofamily.org.
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