MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County has received a $250,000 federal grant to continue efforts aimed at preventing youth violence, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren announced Aug. 18.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Preventing Violence Affecting Young Lives, or PREVAYL, funding opportunity. It will extend the Monterey County Health Department’s STRYVE Program for another year.
“One of my top priorities in Congress is ensuring that our communities are secure and healthy places to live and raise a family,” said Rep. Lofgren. “I am very glad to see that Monterey County is receiving this federal funding that will be used to continue its youth violence prevention efforts. The data shows that we’re making progress, but there is still work to be done, and we need to continue creating an environment where young people feel safe.”
The PREVAYL program is administered by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Monterey County’s STRYVE, or Striving to Reduce Youth Violence Everywhere, program began in 2011. The county was one of only four public health departments in the country to receive the funding.
Since the program began, the county has seen declining juvenile arrests and violent assaults among youth ages 10 to 24, according to the Health Department.
“As a longtime partner of the Community Alliance for Safety and Peace (CASP), I’ve been deeply invested in violence prevention work in Salinas, and proud of our results that show we are successfully keeping our children safe,” said Wendy Root Askew, chair of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. “We are grateful to have the strong support of Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who secured funds needed to continue this critical work.”
The new funding will support several violence prevention initiatives, including Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design in schools. Through the program, students help identify environmental conditions that contribute to safety concerns and develop strategies to improve those spaces and student social cohesion.
Funding also will support “That’s Not Cool,” a social media and youth engagement campaign developed by Futures Without Violence to prevent teen dating violence and intimate partner violence.
Additional funding will support staff working on the continued development of a countywide violence prevention strategic plan, including coordination with community partners and alignment of state violence prevention efforts.
Funded activities are currently focused primarily on the 93905 and 93906 ZIP codes in Salinas, which were identified as priority areas based on violence and health data.
