The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has received a $1 million grant from Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) to further the work of its Serving Our Streets program.
The Serving Our Streets program was established to intervene and prevent violent gun confrontations through the Neighborhood, Porch, Living room (NPL) initiative. This includes direct household engagement, family assessment, resource delivery and neighborhood-based case management.
Violence mediators work with the adversaries “circle of care” to de-escalate active conflicts. If a conflict cannot be resolved, a plan for re-location is established and activated. Supported neighborhoods include Columbus Square, Hyde Park, Jeff-Vander-Lou, and Kingsway East. Since 2020, the program has successfully de-escalated 317 conflicts.
SOS also addresses the expansive opioid crisis through Urban Opioid Triage, a weekly visit to “open-air” drug markets. People living with addictions are offered resources, health screening and an opportunity to enroll in treatment.
ARCHS has also awarded a second grant, and both supports regional public safety focused initiatives.
The Gateway Alliance Against Human Trafficking received a $145,500 grant to raise public awareness of the issues related to human trafficking through trainings, workshops, networking opportunities, and community resources.
The aim is for community members and K-12 students to better understand human trafficking.
