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Project Friendship opens “Friendship Corner” in OSHN offices
Kentucky’s “Project Friendship,” a Jewish-based, charitable organization that donates new goods from beds to hairbrushes, has opened a “Friendship Corner” in OSHN’s offices. While not opened to the public, the corner will give OSHN’s clients who have an immediate need, a place to select what they need for themselves or their family.
For several years, Project Friendship has assisted thousands of individuals in Louisville’s most disinvested neighborhoods. Their association with OSHN started in late 2021 when OSHN relocated a family of gun violence victims. OSHN Outreach professionals asked if Project Friendship could assist because the family needed everyday necessities. “Those type of donations helps to reduce violence because they fill the sometimes-desperate need for necessities,” said Tonika Reed, acting gun violence program manager at OSHN.
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Louisville native and military veteran Mike DeBerry is OSHN’s intake coordinator for the street-outreach division called Pivot To Peace.
He determines what individuals might be best assisted by OSHN’s services, mentoring and guidance. Those individuals most likely are victims of violence, those planning to commit violence and those who seem posed to become involved in violence.
Before coming to OSHN, he’d lived in several different worlds: A naval aircraft technician living for months at a time on carriers stationed near places like Hawaii, Singapore, Hong Kong, Iraq, and the Philippines. As a corporate finance professional handling large business accounts for a major retailer. As a professionally trained school security professional which shadowed an unofficial role as a guidance counselor for inter-city youth facing a gamut of interpersonal issues.
But it was the murder of his own son a couple of years ago, that pushed him into a deep commitment for violence prevention. He was already working as an outreach case manager when his oldest became a victim of gun violence.
“My son’s death is still unsolved,” said the father of five. “But that made me realize just how important this work is. For a long time, I’ve blamed myself; what if I had been in a different place?,” he said.
He also works another concurrent career as a grounds security professional for the Jefferson County Public School System and volunteers as a sports coach at local schools.
“A kid is a kid,” he said. “But not everyone can reach them. But I can. They talk with me and have told me things,” about their life situation. So this position at OSHN is another way to help.”
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Youth in California Neighborhood Hold Poetry Event to Speak Against Violence
Through efforts at OSHN, many civically interested Louisville youth are taking active roles in violence prevention. YES!, or the Youth Engagement Services division at OSHN, have been a strong option for California Neighborhood youth seeking ways to be involved. For its inaugural event, the Cali youth choose to host a “Poetry Slam,” where they showcased their speaking and interpretation skills to a packed house of people of all ages at St. Stephens Baptist Church in the California Neighborhood.
Most of their poetry spoke directly to their peers, asking why choose violence.
In coordination with youth, the YES! division is developing neighbor youth boards in all 26 Louisville Metro districts. These boards will work directly with the Metro Youth Cabinet, which is tasked to communicate the ideas, needs and interest to local elected officials.
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BE THE ONE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE |
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 Change Happens When People Get Involved
OSHN’s Reimagine Network is charged with ensuring that assistance and resources are available for concerned, engaged citizens involved in the fight against violence. The Reimagine Network is OSHN’s community mobilization division and is the city’s gateway for where civic-minded neighbors come together to share concerns, address problems, and then work TOGETHER as they take an active role against anything that brings violence to their neighborhood.
We need more citizens to get involved - NOW.
We encourage residents to join a coalition, especially those in the Shawnee, Parkhill, Smoketown, Russell, Newburg and Portland neighborhoods.
Coalitions are small groups of people with powerful reaches because they address issues and inequity through grassroots tactics, networking and ideas.
Such involvement is a strong, collective way to hold leaders accountable for community-driven change.
502-574-6949
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My Louisville Home is comprehensive strategy to spur housing development across Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (October 3, 2023) – Mayor Craig Greenberg today unveiled My Louisville Home, a comprehensive housing strategy that aims to create and preserve 15,000 affordable housing units. This strategy, the first of its kind in Louisville, outlines significant investment and policy actions by Louisville Metro Government to spur housing development across the city.
“Safe, affordable, quality housing is a basic human need, and we need more housing all over the city – in every ZIP code and in every Metro Council district,” Mayor Greenberg said, citing the need for at least 31,000 units of housing for the lowest income households in Louisville.
My Louisville Home will achieve this ambitious target by implementing a series of strategies and initiatives.
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INFORMATION RELATED TO GUN VIOLENCE |
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Gun violence has risen to crisis levels since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it hasn't impacted all communities equally. Neighborhoods affected by residential racial segregation, with long histories of disinvestment and deprivation, experience the most gun violence.
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President Joe Biden announced the creation of the Federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention at the White House on Sep. 22. The office, which will mainly focus on community outreach, firearms education and enforcing gun control measures already in place, will be directed by Vice President Kamala Harris.
The office comes as a result of a bill introduced to Congress by one of Orlando’s own congressmen, Rep. Maxwell Frost. Frost is the youngest member of Congress and the first congressman from Gen Z. He spoke during a press conference about organizing the office and what it was like as a student to experience when gun violence in schools became prevalent.
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Attention Business Owners & Business Professionals!
Career Aspiration Workshop
The Boss Not Bangers Career Aspiration Workshop is curated for the youth in the community. The age group for these students is 12-18 years old. The program is to introduce these at-risk diverse youth to business owners and professionals in the community, potential career opportunities, and future internships.
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The Office for Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods is always for looking community spaces to host our Ambassador Training and Network Nights events. If you know of a community space please email The Reimagine Network.
reimagine@louisvilleky.gov
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 OSHN’s mission is to reduce the risk of violence in all of Louisville’s communities. If you have an event or festival that we can table and share what the city is doing to holistically reduce violence and how it affects you and our community - We Want to Come! Please fill out our tabling request form or go to the website at Office for Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods | LouisvilleKY.gov We’ll look forwarding to meeting you!
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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. |
 View any past OSHN Newsletter!
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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 the Reimagine Network.
Take care of each other,
The Reimagine Network
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908 W Broadway, 5th Floor, Louisville, KY 40203 | Phone: 502-574-6709 |
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