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June 2021 Newsletter
On Thursday, June 24, Metro Council approved the capital and operating budgets for FY2021-22. The new budget, which will take effect July 1, includes $4.5M for the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods to continue to practice proven interventions as well as implement new and exciting evidence-based outreach programs. OSHN's largest budget yet will also improve capacity building for community partners which will put more than half of their funding ($2.3M) back into the community. Thank you to everyone who advocated for these initiatives during a time which our community desperately needs wholistic violence prevention strategies that address the root causes of violence.
OSHN Highlight: The Ambassador Workgroup
The Office for Safe and Heathy Neighborhoods partners with multiple innovative programs. Our monthly OSHN spotlight aims to inform about initiatives across our city that are making a difference.
The Ambassador Workgroup has been meeting on the first Thursday of the month for almost a year. Attendees are made up of concerned citizens eager to volunteer their time for Ambassador-led community projects. To do this, members take turns pitching their ideas and championing community projects based on the need they see in their neighborhood. Previously, they have tackled tree plantings, Louisville Loop cleanups, food pantries, and more. Their next event will focus on cleaning up various alleys and preventing illegal dumping in the Parkland Neighborhood on July 24.
The Workgroup is open to anyone who has completed or plans to complete the One Love Louisville Ambassador Institute. For more info about joining an upcoming meeting, or to volunteer for the alley cleanup, email joseph.newland@louisvilleky.gov or Suggest a project here
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Upcoming Events
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West-End TIF Neighborhood Forum
House Bill 321 created a tax increment financing (TIF) district to help fund efforts to improve the economies in nine West End neighborhoods: Parkland, Shawnee, Park Duvalle, Russell, Portland, California, Chickasaw, Park Hill, and Algonquin. The West End TIF passed on April 1, but plenty of questions remain about how it will impact residents, existing businesses and future economic development. Join leaders from the Coalition of West Louisville Neighborhood Associations on Tuesday, June 29 from 6:30-8 p.m. to see how the TIF will impact you.
In-person: Portland Memorial Baptist Church | 3802 West Market Street Louisville, KY 40212
Online: The Coalition of West Louisville Neighborhood Associations FB Page | @CWLNA
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Save A Life Training
Join Whitney/Strong on Saturday, July 10 from 11 a.m. 2 p.m. for their quarterly Save a Life training! Save A Life was developed as an innovative way of reducing gun violence. Save A Life offers the following evidence-based prevention trainings free to community partners: firearm safety skills such as safe storage and gun handling techniques, Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM), and Stop the Bleed. Practices shared within the training are proven to reduce the risk of gun violence and its toll by preventing accidental death and injury, suicide, violent crime, and uncontrolled bleeding. The training is available for participants aged 16+. This is an in-person event held at King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church.
1620 Anderson St, Louisville, KY 40210
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
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Ambassador Institute to Resume In-person Trainings
Learn the tools needed to make a difference in your community! Our next Ambassador Institute will be held in-person on Saturday, August 21 from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Participants will be trained in Mental Health 101, Suicide Prevention, Community Organizing, Conflict Resolution, and the Public Health Approach to Violence. Trainers include experts from Home of the Innocents, the Kent School of Social Work, the Youth Violence Prevention Research Center, and more! Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
The Location for our event has not yet been determined so there is no registration link. Email below for more information or to RSVP.
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Virtual Learning
With limited trainings and in-person gatherings, here are some interesting learning opportunities to continue to grow and develop our collective understanding of violence.
 While violence has increased almost everywhere across the country since the onset of COVID-19, states with the weakest gun laws will likely feel that impact the hardest. June is Gun Violence Prevention Month, and The Gifford Law Center has released their annual scorecard for gun safety which again draws an undeniable correlation between weak gun laws and a higher gun death rate. Virginia and New Mexico improved their grades the most over the last year, and for the first time in the history of the Gun Law Scorecard, more Americans lived in A states (98.7 million) than F states (94.7 million.) Kentucky, which received an F on the scorecard, had 14.91 deaths per every 100K residents which rank as the 17th highest death rate. According to the Gifford Law Center, Kentucky has the 5th weakest gun laws. See the scorecard here.
American Rescue Plan Informational Meeting
Last week, the Center for Nonprofit Excellence hosted a one-hour informational meeting on current plans for allocating the American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds locally. Featured guests included Margaret Handmaker and Jeff O'Brien from the Mayor's Office and Metro Council's Budget Chair and Vice-chair, Councilman Bill Hollander and Councilman Kevin Kramer. The event was moderated by Cities United Director, Anthony Smith. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions about spending plans and priorities. If you were unable to join the event, you can watch the video here. Additionally, all Jefferson County residents are encouraged to solicit ideas for ARP spending through the mayor's online survey here.
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Community Board
Take a look at some of the latest news, resources, and events in the community. Keep your community informed by sharing these with family, friends, and neighbors.
2021 Summer Cultural Pass
The 2021 Cultural Pass offers families in Greater Louisville with children ages 0-21 access to participate in arts and cultural activities provided by 51 venues, free of charge, from now through August 8, 2021. The Cultural Pass will offer both in-person and virtual experiences this year. See the full list of participating venues, and register for your cultural pass here.
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JCTC Offering Jump-start Grants for Adults 25+
Thinking about starting college or going back to complete a degree? Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC) wants to help new students ages 25 or older jump-start their education and COVER TUITION for the upcoming Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters. That’s up to 30 credit hours of FREE TUITION! Learn more and apply here.
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Virtual Expungement Clinic
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky has partnered with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kentucky to offer free, virtual expungement services on July 15 at 10 a.m. Goodwill’s virtual expungement clinics are in high demand due to the comprehensive expungement services provided, and services will only be offered to the first 150 participants registered. These services include processing of Kentucky State Police reports, extensive client follow-up and direct handling of court cases. These efforts, complemented by soft-skills training and career services, are conducive to prior offenders finding a second chance for meaningful, sustained employment. Charges outside of Kentucky cannot be expunged at this time. If interested, sign up by emailing virtualexpungement@goodwillky.org
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Outreach Team Resumes Tabling Events
OSHN's Outreach Team has not wasted any time getting involved as our partners resume in-person community events. Recently, they have tabled at the Fund Peace Rally, Wear Orange 'Enough is Enough' Peace Walk, KnowledgeFest, and more. They have also begun canvasing neighborhoods on Wednesdays to inform communities about violence prevention resources.
If you have an upcoming violence prevention event, OSHN would love to be there! Members of their outreach team can provide information related to violence prevention resources, share about upcoming events, or simply show their support. Reach out to Lavel White, Outreach Coordinator, to check availability: lavel.white@louisvilleky.gov
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New Dashboard Helps Track Progress on Hillard Heintze Recommendations
In January, Hilliard Heintze released their full, independent review of the Louisville Metro Police Department's policies, practices, procedures, and community engagement. The 150+ page document, which can be found here, outlines 102 recommendations divided into 12 categories including recruiting and hiring practices, bias-free policing, data analysis, crowd control, and more. Now that the top-to-bottom review is complete, efforts have already begun to ensure reform efforts are transparent - beginning with the new recommendation dashboard. The dashboard, which will be updated quarterly, lists the 12 key domain subject areas and depicts progress through four types of status: Completed, In Process, Planning & Development, and Under Review. Dashboard users can also click on each of the subject areas to find the specific recommendations from the report. While no timeline has been given to complete all the recommendations, the public is encouraged to check the dashboard periodically and follow the progress in real-time.
View the Dashboard Here
City’s Office of Resilience and Community Services and Neighborhood Place are now open for face-to-face services
After being closed to in-persons services for more than a year, Louisville Metro Office of Resilience and Community Services and Neighborhood Place locations are now open to the public for face-to-face appointments. In order to continue to meet the need of high-volume programs, including Eviction Prevention assistance and LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), appointments will be required in advance for some services. See guidelines below.
Neighborhood Place
All seven Neighborhood Place locations are open to serve residents Monday - Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment only. To find a Neighborhood Place in their area, residents may call Metro311 at 311 or 574-5000, or click here.
LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
To apply, residents must schedule a drop-off appointment. Appointments can be scheduled by phone by calling 502-991-8391 or click here.
Senior Nutrition/Meals on Wheels
The city’s Meals on Wheels program continues to operate delivery to more than 1,240 homebound senior clients once per week with a five-frozen meal pack, and the Senior Congregate sites are slowly reopening. Refer an eligible senior or check the status of Senior Congregate sites by calling 502-574-6325 or click here.
Stay Connected!
There is great work happening here in the office, and most importantly, in our community. It is our goal to keep you engaged and co-leading our important work. Our vision for Louisville is a city of safe neighborhoods where everyone is supported, free of violence, and prepared for lifelong success. We can only achieve this together, so stay connected with our monthly newsletters, social media, and visit our website for more information and additional calls to action.
Past OSHN Newsletters can be viewed here.
We would love your feedback. If you have questions or concerns regarding our newsletter, or have a related event that you would like to communicate with our networks, contact Joe Newland.
Take care of each other.
#BeThe1
OSHN Team
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