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1994.10.07 : Youth Violence/Gang Activity

Contact:  Michael Kharfen     (202) 401-9215
October 7, 1994

                PLANNING GRANTS TO HELP COMMUNITIES 
                COMBAT YOUTH VIOLENCE/GANG ACTIVITY 

     HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today announced the award of 
$2 million in grants to help community groups organize coalitions to
combat youth violence and gang activity.     

     "Over the past decade, over 50,000 young people have been
killed in this country due to crime, more than all the American
soldiers in Vietnam," said Secretary Shalala.  "There is a war on
the streets of America and our children are the casualties." 

     The 21 planning grants are funded under the Youth Gang Drug
Prevention Program of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 (Public Law
100-690).  The coalitions will develop five-year action plans that
concentrate resources on socially and economically isolated
neighborhoods or target areas.  

     The goals of these grants are to identify the developmental
needs of youth (ages 9-12) within their communities, to review
existing services and strategies and to develop an action plan that
mobilizes the strengths of the community to effectively stem the
tragedy of youth violence.

      "Last year, more than 100,000 youths were arrested for violent
crimes, that's one young person every five minutes," said Mary Jo
Bane, assistant secretary for children and families.  "Through these
grants, we will involve youth and their families in unprecedented 
ways to help strengthen themselves and their neighborhoods.  We will
learn from the successes and as funds become available, commit more
resources to secure a safe, healthy and productive future for our
children."

     Grant recipients are:

     o Our Town Family Center, Tucson, Ariz., $97,950.
     o The Cambodian Family, Santa Ana, Calif., $100,000.
     o City of Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif., $96,409.
     o San Diego Youth and Community Services, San Diego, Calif.,    
         $99,990.
     o San Francisco Police Department, San Francisco, Calif.,
         $100,000.
     o Boys and Girls Club of Stockton, Inc., Stockton, Calif.,
         $100,000.
     o Latin American Youth Center, Washington, D.C., $100,000.
     o Aspira of Florida, Inc., Miami, $100,000.
     o Department of Human Services, Honolulu, Hawaii, $100,000.
     o Project Freedom, Wichita, Kan., $99,977.
     o Harbor Point Community Task Force, Dorchester, Mass.,
         $84,398.
     o City of Cambridge, Cambridge, Mass., $97,910.
     o United Way of the Ozarks, Springfield, Mo., $100,000.
     o Good Shepherd Services, New York, N.Y., $99,990.
     o Tulsa County Independent School District #l, Tulsa,
         Okla., $91,615.
     o Memphis City Schools, Memphis, Tenn., $97,220.
     o Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas,
         $99,732.
     o Alivane, Inc., El Paso, Texas, $99,559.
     o City of Spokane, Wash., $94,800.
     o Kenosha County Department of Social Services, Kenosha,
         Wis., $98,768.
     o Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Bayfield, Wis.,
         $100,000.

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