City of Lexington | City of Lexington website
City of Lexington | City of Lexington website
Non-profit organizations interested in applying for the City’s One Lexington Violence Prevention grants can do so ahead of the upcoming deadline of Friday, April 5. The grant program provides community partners with resources to help prevent gun violence, a key component of the One Lexington program. Applications are available here.
Mayor Linda Gorton expressed satisfaction with the progress made by One Lexington in reducing gun violence among young people, attributing it to the work of community partners funded through the grants. She emphasized the importance of these grants in supporting the mission of reducing gun violence in the community.
According to statistics, Lexington saw a decrease in homicides and shootings in recent years. In 2022, there were 44 homicides, which decreased to 24 in 2023. Additionally, for the first time in five years, the city had fewer than 100 shootings in 2023.
The City plans to allocate $100,000 to support the grant program, pending approval from the Urban County Council. Grant recipients will be eligible to receive up to $7,500. One Lexington Director Devine Carama highlighted the program's focus on supporting grassroots organizations that work towards reducing gun violence, especially among youth and young adults.
One Lexington Crisis Response Coordinator Kenneth Payne shared a success story of a participant who received assistance in securing housing for herself and her daughter, moving them from sleeping in an abandoned church to stable employment and housing.
The grant program, now in its third year, is estimated to have positively impacted approximately 1,200 young people through funded programming. Grant applications will be scored by the Community Action Council based on their alignment with specific initiatives related to gun violence reduction and community events. Recipients of the grants will be announced at the end of April.
Interested organizations have until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 5, to submit their completed applications for the One Lexington Violence Prevention grants. The expanded eligibility for the grant program now includes a new priority area, mental health.
As part of ongoing city developments, a section of Devonport Drive will be closed starting on Wednesday, March 27, for sewer construction, with the closure expected to last for two weeks.
Interested organizations can apply for the grants at https://CommunityActionCouncil.formstack.com/forms/onelexingtonfy25.
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