Abney announces nearly $640,000 grant for anti-violence measures
Allegheny County Delegation March 28, 2024 | 11:41 AM
PITTSBURGH, March 28 – State Rep. Aerion A. Abney, D-Allegheny, announced that a state Violence Intervention and Prevention grant has been awarded to an organization in his legislative district for educational efforts focused on preventing and decreasing violence.
The Homeless Children’s Education Fund will receive $638,201 to support its Mobile Learning program, which provides tutoring for students not currently at a shelter or housing agency, as well as its Teen CEO program, which provides workforce development for older youth transitioning into adulthood. Additional dollars will also be used to support the design and build of Winnie’s STEAM Machine, HCEF’s second mobile learning classroom, to be used in the Mobile Learning program, which will provide science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics learning to vulnerable populations to address learning gaps.
“Keeping area students in a classroom, in-person or mobile, is essential to preparing them for the next phase of their lives and focused on making the best possible life,” Abney said. “This grant is all about helping set them up for success and providing invaluable knowledge they can utilize now and years down the road.”
The VIP grant program is facilitated by the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency. Since the program began in 2021, 256 projects across the Commonwealth have been approved for a combined total of approximately $185 million in grant funding to prevent, intervene in and reduce gun and group-related violence, helping to make Pennsylvania communities safer.
A full list of VIP grant recipients can be found here.