"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank~
Good News - Allentown Weed and Seed has been awarded $50,250!
The City of Allentown Weed and Seed program has been awarded more than $50,000 to support programs that contribute to reducing crime within the Weed and Seed target area. Nine agencies and ten programs will receive funding for the period July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011 in a grant program from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency.
"The grants allow us to support the very important work of these critical local agencies," said Weed & Seed Site Coordinator Phyllis Alexander. "While grant dollars are important, equally important is the collaboration that will occur between Weed and Seed and its partners. Partners agree to set egos and personal agendas aside on behalf of working cooperatively on the meaningful work of revitalizing Center City and the First Ward. We look forward to a productive year with a wealth of best practices."
The following agencies received awards:
Allentown Boxing Gym - $6000.00
Allentown Police Department - $3000- Police Athletic League, and $10,000 overtime
Caring Place mentoring program for males and females - $5000
Children's First Academy after school violence prevention program - $6700
Grace Episcopal Church - $6000.00 Weed and Seed employment program
Iglesia de Jesucristo Pentecostes UCC summer program - $500
Program for Women and Families Child Development Specialist - $3000
Resurrected Life Community Church DEFY Phase I residential camp - $4500
St. Luke's Neighborhood Center after school/summer program - $5550
Allentown's Weed and Seed strategy is to "weed" out drug trafficking, violent crimes and related offenses through coordinated law enforcement and community policing; and to "seed" the designated areas with prevention, intervention and treatment programs designed to meet the communities' needs for human services, employment and economic development, youth development and housing. Furthermore, Allentown's initiative works closely with residents by providing ongoing resident leadership training and by requiring resident involvement in all aspects of the initiative.
Weed & Seed links federal, state, and local social services, private sector and community efforts to maximize the impact of existing community programs and resources. A component of the city's Department of Community and Economic Development, the Weed & Seed initiative enhances Allentown's growth and development.
Allentown's Weed and Seed target site consists of 48 blocks which stretches North to South from Tilghman to Hamilton Street and East to West from the Lehigh River to 8th Street. It takes up a large portion of what is known as the 1st Ward and the 4C's community (center city).
About Weed & Seed
Weed and Seed, a federal grant strategy, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justices' Community Capacity Development Office, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and the City of Allentown.
Allentown's Weed and Seed strategy is to "weed" out drug trafficking, violent crimes and related offenses through coordinated law enforcement and community policing; and to "seed" the designated areas with prevention, intervention and treatment programs designed to meet the communities' needs for human services, employment and economic development, youth development and housing. Furthermore, Allentown's initiative works closely with residents by providing ongoing resident leadership training and by requiring resident involvement in all aspects of the initiative. Weed and Seed links federal, state, and local social services, private sector plus community efforts, to maximize the impact of existing community programs and resources. A component of the City's Community and Economic Development Department, the Weed and Seed initiative enhances Allentown's growth and development.