November 2021 Newsletter

The Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods is grateful to receive a portion of the second round of ARP funds which was approved by Metro Council on November 11.  This commitment to violence prevention will allow for increased capacity within our Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs, the Trauma Resilient Communities (TRC) initiative, the Community Mobilization and Capacity Building Fellowship within the Ambassador Institute, and more. Click here to see how OSHN will distribute the ARP Funds to various initiatives.

Upcoming Events

In-person Ambassador Training Learn the tools needed to make a difference in your community! Our next Ambassador Training will be held in-person on Saturday, December 11th from 9:00am - 2:00pm and we will meet at the Louisville Central Community Center at 1300 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd Participants will be trained in Mental Health 101/Suicide Prevention, Community Organizing, Stop the Bleed, Conflict Resolution, Domestic Violence Awareness, and The Public Health Approach to Violence.  Join over 500 participants who have completed the training since its inception in 2017. If you have ever wanted to learn how you can get involved in violence prevention, this is your chance!

41st Light Up Louisville Light Up Louisville returns Friday, November 26 as an in-person event. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. outside Metro Hall and will include: Santa’s Workshop, a one-way loop with holiday crafts, cookies to decorate at home, and an opportunity to write letters to Santa and veterans A Holiday Market open from 4-10 p.m. offering treats, crafts, and decorations for purchase Live entertainment on the Light Up Louisville stage The Lots of Lights Parade beginning at 6:45 p.m. Santa Claus helping us “Light Up Louisville” around 8 p.m. and fireworks show For more information, please visit the Light Up Louisville web page.

Free Coat Exchange On Friday, November 26th Olmsted Parks Conservancy is hosting four locations as part of the 11th Annual Free Coat Exchange. The 4 hosting park locations: Shelby - 600E. Oak Street Lou, KY 40203 Central - 1340 S. Fourth St. Lou, KY 40208 Iroquois - 5216 New Cut Rd. Lou, KY 40214 Elliott - 650 S 29th St, Lou, KY 40211 Anyone needing a coat can come to any of the locations 10am-1pm. For drop-off locations to donate a coat, visit Louisville - Free Coat Exchange Volunteers needed 8am-10am and 10am-1pm. If you're available - please email info@olmstedparks.org.

Online Reading and Learning

With limited trainings and in-person gatherings, below are some interesting learning opportunities to continue to grow and develop our collective understanding of violence.

National League of Cities: A Path Toward Safe and Equitable Cities

In February of 2021, the National League of Cities launched the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force. The Task Force was comprised of various local leaders across the country to reimagine how they ensure public safety in their communities.

Over six months the task force highlighted local innovations and evidence-based practices in areas such as violence intervention and interruption, alternative response, youth and young adult engagement, the use of credible messengers, accountability and more.

Click here to read the Task Force's full report to city leaders.

Community Justice Action Fund: Policy Digest This November, CJAF is reflecting on the hard won victories of October and the work planned out ahead as the new year approaches.  The report outlines how numerous cities around the country are working hard securing resources for community violence intervention programs. Every month CJAF's Policy Digest provides details on the latest on what’s going on in the gun violence policy world, important bills to watch, and how you can get involved to support our policy efforts on all levels of government to end gun violence in communities of color. Read the latest Policy Digest here.

The Trace: Healing From Gun Violence The Trace offers the only team of journalists exclusively dedicated to reporting on the country’s gun violence crisis. This article explores how shooting survivors face physical and psychological recovery, often with little to no help. After speaking with those whose lives have been affected by violence in Chicago, the article details what residents of Chicago think is necessary to help survivors of gun violence and their communities. This article explores the accounts of a teacher whose student was taken away by gun violence, a trauma surgeon on the frontlines of physical recovery, and a violence prevention advocate, who tries to stop shootings before they happen.  Click here to read the full article

FREE Questions, Persuade, and Refer (Q.P.R.) Trainings The Louisville Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Louisville) and the Louisville Health Advisory Board (LHAB) have an ambitious goal of training 2,021 Louisville citizens in 2021.  To do so, they are offering several Q.P.R. trainings before the end of the year. Question, Persuade, and Refer are three steps anyone can take to prevent suicide, and through a grant these trainings are currently available for FREE for Jefferson County residents. Trainings are currently being offered virtually, and you can register below to attend one of several available trainings before the end of the year. Register here.

Podcast by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health  Episode 313 (14 minutes) - Stopping Gun Violence Before It Starts: How Community-Based Violence Prevention Programs Keep People Safe. This podcast explores community-based approaches for addressing gun violence. Additionally, they discuss the evidence for these programs and their growing need and popularity across the country.  This episode can be found on Apple Podcast, Spotify and YouTube.

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.

Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program Some offices and VA hospitals offer a "Health Promotion Disease Prevention Program" that includes treatment methods including acupuncture, tai chi, and meditation instead of opioids, and they work with the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255, Press 1) to provide support and treatment for PTSD and depression, the leading cause of suicide for veterans.

Heine Brother's and the Center for Women and Families In partnership with the Center for Women and Families (CWF), from now until the 31st of December Heine Brother's will donate $1 to CWF for each 12 oz. bag of Traveler's Blend coffee sold.  The proceeds will assist CWF in providing resources and support to individuals and families they serve for free. For more information on other ways to donate click here.  To order a 12 oz. bag of coffee click here.

Whitney M. Young Job Corps Campus in Simpsonville, KY is now open for in-person enrollment! Job Corps’ mission is to educate and train highly-motivated young people for successful careers in the nation’s fastest-growing industries by providing cost-free education and vocational training. Job Corps offers hands-on career technical training in high-growth industries and can also help you get a GED or high school diploma if you don't already have one. Check out Job Corps FAQ's here Career areas include: advanced manufacturing, construction, finance, healthcare, information technology and more. For more information contact Sarah Ann Sotkiewicz at Sotkiewicz.Sarah@jobcorps.org

Kentucky Career Center's Workshop Calendar This November the KCC is providing job development workshops both virtually and in-person at the Nia Center 2900 W. Broadway. Participants can chose workshops in job search and interview strategies, professional networking include LinkedIn,  and much more. To sign up for a workshop click here

Parents of Eligible JCPS Seniors: Applications for the Evolve502 College Scholarship are Open! The Evolve502 Scholarship applications are now open for the Jefferson County Public Schools Class of 2022. The scholarships are for students who would like to attend any college in the Kentucky Community & Technical College System, including Jefferson Community & Technical College and Simmons College right here in Louisville. Scholarship recipients can pursue an associate degree, a professional certificate, or take 60 hours of credit tuition-free. Click here to apply!

'West of Ninth' & Beecher Terrace  Exhibit on Display at the Frazier History Museum In partnership with “West of Ninth” bloggers Walt and Shae Smith, the West of Ninth: Race, Reckoning, & Reconciliation exhibit uses the blog as a catalyst to explore the historic roots of Louisville’s Ninth Street divide; delving into issues of race, segregation and redlining in the city.  The exhibit features artifacts excavated in Corn Island archaeology’s exploration of historic Black neighborhood Beecher Terrace, as well as other objects related to Black history in Louisville including the ongoing protests, alongside selections from the “West of Ninth” blog and Beecher Terrace documentary.  The exhibit is now on display at the Frazier History Museum.

Trauma Resilient Community: Let's Heal Together TRC is offering free AF-CBT and RTT counseling services to South and West Louisville residents. What is AF-CBT? Alternatives for Families - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) is a trauma-informed treatment to manage grief, anger, anxiety, and stress. Learn how to solve problems effectively and address family conflicts. What is RTT? Racial Trauma Therapy is an evidence-based intervention providing trauma-informed therapy to those who have experienced race-based trauma and stress. For more information contact Nannette Dix at 502-612-0450.

Free At-Home COVID-19 Test Residents of some Louisville areas can now order FREE rapid, at-home COVID-19 testing kits while supplies last. It’s part of a program called Say Yes! COVID Test sponsored by the Louisville department of Public Health. Individuals living in these zip codes (pictured right) can get the test kits one of several ways: -Find a Community Pickup location by visiting www.covidhometestlouisville.org  (locations will be open for a limited time) -Calling the Lou Health Helpline at 502-912-8598

News and Announcements

Is Your Council District Changing?

On November 11th, Metro Council passed an ordinance that establishes new district boundaries for each of the 26 Metro Council Districts. The ordinance was signed into law by Mayor Fischer on November 16th. 

Every 10 years following the Census data, Metro Louisville is required by law to redraw the boundaries for each of the 26 Council Districts to account for changes in population according to local, state, and federal rules governing the process. The Louisville Metro Council formed a committee to review the current districts and propose new district boundaries based on population changes. To learn more about this process, click here.

You can click here to search for an address on Center's new interactive redistricting map to learn more about your newly approved Council district. Results will include information about your current and newly approved district, and the neighborhood of the specified location.

Mayor Fischer signs ordinance allocating 2^nd round of city’s share of ARP funds

On November 23rd, Mayor Greg Fischer was joined by Metro Council members and community representatives as he signed into law an ordinance allocating a second round of the city’s portion of American Rescue Plan funds. The Biden Administration will allow cities all around the country to move their city forward through programs funded by the ARP funds.

Metro Council approved the spending on Nov. 11. Councilman Markus Winkler said, “The ARP funding presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in our city. I am proud of this allocation for the many families in our community it will impact. From those on the front lines of the pandemic serving our community to those most in need of housing, this second round of ARP funding makes a significant investment in the people of our city.”

Specifically, the measure approved by Council includes $42.6 million for public safety, including:

• Violence prevention: $15.8 million to expand the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods’ (OSHN) current Violence Deterrence and Prevention programs that have proven outcomes and long-lasting impact.
• Public Safety Reforms: $17.5 million to address public safety reforms recommended by Hillard Heintze and ongoing reforms of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD).
• Juvenile Assessment Center: $1 million over three years to develop a Juvenile Assessment Center to receive and assess youth who have been detained pre-custody, in coordination with the court designated workers assessment process.
• Family Recovery Court: The ordinance provides funding for Seven Counties Services to continue the Family Recovery Court for an additional year. This initiative is a collaborative, client-centered approach promoting coordination of care, accountability, and healthy outcomes for parents who are involved with the child welfare system and have a history of substance use.
• Gun crime analysis: $117,000 to match a grant provided by Everytown for Gun Safety to hire a data fellow who will provide in-depth gun crime analysis.
• LMPD Technology: $6 million to LMPD for new equipment and increased storage capacity.

A report from the Courier Journal outlines how funds will be used to expand programming and complement existing initiatives. To read this article click here.

Gov. Beshear Authorizes COVID-19 Vaccination Boosters for All Kentucky Adults

On November 17th Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order that qualifies every person 18 years old or older and living or working in the commonwealth to get a COVID-19 vaccination booster six months after their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, or two months after a single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

The Governor said Kentucky was seeing declines in COVID-19 case numbers and the test positivity rate for many weeks, but recently those numbers have begun to plateau or even slightly increase. The Governor said boosters help address waning vaccine immunity.

“We are moving into the amazing holiday season with Thanksgiving, Christmas and other gatherings, which unfortunately are especially risky for COVID-19 being able to spread,” said Gov. Beshear. “Because of that, it’s more important than ever that we get people vaccinated and get people their boosters to push their immunity up to the highest levels, because over time that immunity wanes.”

“Folks, you really need to get vaccinated and get this booster, and now it should be fairly easy. It’s going to make you much safer over the next several months,” said Gov. Beshear. As of Wed., Nov. 17, more than 437,000 Kentuckians had received a booster.

Click here to watch a video message from Gov. Andy Beshear.

Stay Connected!

There is great work happening here in the Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, 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