Contact: algantz@pa.gov (PCCD) | kirstinalv@pa.gov (LG)
Harrisburg, PA — Pennsylvania organizations are voicing the need for continued state investments in the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) Building Opportunity Out of School Time (BOOST) and Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Grant Programs to support youth and prevent gun violence across the Commonwealth.
The Shapiro-Davis Administration’s proposed 2025-26 budget includes a $10 million increase for both the BOOST and VIP Grant Programs, bringing the total proposed investment in PCCD’s gun violence prevention programs to $75 million, a much-needed increase due to the large demand which was more than three times the allocation in the most recent round of funding.
PCCD Chair Lt. Governor Austin Davis visited Café Momentum in Pittsburgh, a recent recipient of more than $910,000 in VIP grant funding, to hear how their internship program is helping reduce violence and improve the lives of justice-involved youth. The paid internship program serves over 75 youth per year and helps interns make money and learn skills to prevent and respond to violence. Additionally, participants can receive essential support and resources, including mental health care and life skills, personal growth, and educational opportunities.
Watch Lt. Gov. Davis’ Visit:
Café Momentum Part 1
Pennsylvania is working to give young people every opportunity to succeed and that includes investing in programs that prevent youth-related violence. Last year the non-profit Café Momentum which works with teenagers impacted by the justice system, received an almost $1 million grant to expand access to their program and provide the support needed to ensure our young people have a bright future.
Café Momentum Part 2
Violence intervention and prevention practices are the key to reducing community violence and creating pathways for young people to succeed. When I sat down with the interns at Café Momentum it’s evident how much this program and the mentorship means to them, and the safe place they can go for help.
Café Momentum Part 3
Our young people deserve to have a safe place to go outside of the classroom. The non-profit Café Momentum received a grant last year of almost $1 million to expand access to and enhance their program by serving more than 75 students that have been impacted by the justice system, providing them with the skills and support they need to create long-term success.
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“Over the last year, we’ve been able to expand our afterschool programming and violence prevention work, thanks to a grant from PCCD’s Building Opportunity Out of School Time (BOOST) program. … With so much unmet need, now is not the time to reduce our investments in programs like BOOST.”
Bucks County Beacon: Gun Violence Intervention Programs in Pennsylvania Are Working and Should Receive More State Funding, Local Advocates Say
Between 2019 and 2021, rates of gun deaths increased an overall 22 percent across the country. After the uptick, the state government created the VIP Program out of the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency. In FY 2022-2023, the program provided $105 million VIP state and federal dollars and $75 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to enhance community-led violence interventions and responses. “And It worked. It did what it was supposed to do because there has been an astounding 38 percent reduction in gun homicides in Pennsylvania over the last two years,” Lyden said.”