Friend,

Last week, we won $50 million in new funding for gun violence prevention efforts across the Commonwealth. 

For years, community members have used blood, sweat, tears and dollars from their own pockets to make their communities safer through violence intervention and prevention programs. That is changing after our Philadelphia organizer coordinated a coalition of community groups. Kallel helped win a major new investment for evidence-based programs. 

Then, in just 72 hours we coordinated more than 80 local officials, law enforcement, community leaders, and doctors to push for statewide funding. That led to $30 million in the PA budget. [1]

We need $50,000 to expand our Invest in Safer Communities Campaign in our next fiscal year starting on July 1st. Thanks to a generous donor, every dollar will be matched. Can you chip in $25 today -- and have it double to $50?

While we continue to push common sense gun safety laws in Harrisburg, this could help save lives right now. These programs deploy community members to  intervene in disputes, provide wrap-around, trauma-informed services, and use targeted workforce development with conflict resolution skills-building. A program in San Jose cut violence by nearly 50 percent. We could do the same thing in cities from Erie to York to Philadelphia to Scranton -- if our government invests in communities.

Here’s what you’ll be supporting:

• Hire a full time Pittsburgh organizer to raise up the voices of community organizations working daily to halt the violence and illustrate how much more they could do if properly funded;
• Create a digital resource that illustrates how local violence reduction programs work, highlighting the stories of survivors who lead them;
• Expand our nascent statewide coalition of 80 public health leaders, public safety experts, local officials and faith leaders, with a focus on smaller cities that overlap with Republican leadership; [2]
• Coordinate a series of educational forums and Leadership Institutes to build knowledge among activists on how intervention and prevention programs work -- and how to advocate for them

A new organizer. A compelling online narrative. A coordinated education campaign. Adam, this is the strategic plan your donation will power forward.

We still need common sense gun safety laws. We’ll continue to work on them every day. But, with violence rising across the Commonwealth, we must use every possible avenue to save lives. The solutions to community-based violence exist in the community -- we need more elected officials in Harrisburg to step up to the plate and provide the financial support to allow these programs to work.

Sincerely,
Adam Garber
CeaseFirePA Education Fund