Philadelphia district attorney offering microgrants for community organizations in Kensington
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — District Attorney Larry Krasner and the Philadelphia Foundation came together at West Kensington Ministry Wednesday to announce the reopening of the application process for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office Violence Prevention Grant Program.
Krasner's office and the foundation are welcoming local, community-based nonprofit organizations that support people struggling with addiction to drugs and who are in recovery to apply for microgrants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000.
"The money with that would help us to really elevate this program," Britt Carpenter, director of the Philly Unknown Project, said.
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Carpenter launched the Philly Unknown Project after he began his own recovery in December 2015. In the nearly nine years since, his organization has created a green space and provided opportunities for work development and job placement for formerly incarcerated people. He hopes to receive one of the microgrants.
"When I went into recovery, I wanted to start a place in the community where I can give back to the community that I took so much away from," Carpenter said.
A report from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health in October 2023 shows that more than 1,400 unintentional fatal overdoses occurred in Philadelphia in 2022, an 11% increase over the previous year and a record for the city. Overdoses are disproportionately affecting Black communities, according to the report.
"This administration believes that in order to prevent drug addiction and violence, we must reinvest in the communities hardest hit by these public health and safety issues. That's why we are strongly encouraging small, local community-based groups to apply for these funds. Let's work together to make our city safer and healthier for everyone," Krasner said in a statement.
"While they're called microgrants, the funding we received through this program had a mega impact," Pastor Adan Mairena of the West Kensington Ministry said in a statement from the district attorney's office. "We were able to hire two teachers who teach ceramics to our teens and young adults for eight hours a week. To see the light in their eyes when they finished a project was just magical. And we aim to provide skills in this and other areas so that our youth can build on their dreams and make a living doing what they love in the future."
