Where do you go for help to address violence besides 911

People who pay attention already know violence is off the chain in Philadelphia, and the statistics for murder, for example, for 2021 is looking bleak, what with this city hitting the 300 mark, almost 14 days ago, in terms of the number of people murdered thus far this year.
So outlining the problem again is a waste of time. It’s time for answers and solutions. Special thanks to the 39th Police District Community Relations Officer, Officer Bernard Spain for keeping me on his email list, and sharing valuable information with me, that he knows I will share with the community. To be fair, the Philly Gun Violence Resource List came from local radio station WHYY/FM. I will share just some of the organizations that can help you if you call.
There’s the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia. They offer a host of services. The mission of the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia (AVP) is to reduce the entire cycle of violence by providing a wide range of services–from support and counseling for victims and their families to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of violence. We provide comprehensive and collaborative programs throughout Philadelphia in schools, social service agencies, the courts, and community sites.
AVP was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1983. The following year, Families of Murder Victims (FMV) opened in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Homicide Unit to serve individuals who have lost a loved one to homicide. By the 1990s, AVP was gearing up to expand its reach.
In 1996, AVP established the Counseling Center, which provides free therapeutic counseling to children, families, and individuals who have witnessed or experienced violence in their lives.
In 2005, AVP established West/Southwest Victim Services, a program supporting and advocating for victims of violent crime in a community-based setting. In October 2007, AVP began collaborating with the Medical Examiner’s Office where AVP’s crisis intervention specialists work to meet the immediate practical and emotional needs of victims’ loved ones in the days following a homicide. The services include providing support at the time of identification of their loved one’s remains and assistance in receiving compensation for funeral and other related costs.
The Youth Violence Outreach (YVO) initiative was established in the fall of 2016. By identifying young people who have experienced violence-related trauma and providing them with effective counseling and therapy to help them process the experience, YVO works to interrupt the cycle of violence. The school-based work is a combination of services that provide trauma-informed care directly to youth, emphasizing outreach to adolescent males of color who have the highest rates of victimization and violent behavior and who are often difficult to reach in non-school settings. AVP serves victims of violence and individuals who have lost a loved one to homicide (often called “co-victims”). AVP offers several programs and services to our clients. All services are provided free of charge. If you have any questions about eligibility, please call us at 215-567-6776.
Last year, AVP served approximately 3,000 members of our community who were impacted by violence.
There’s another organization that’s making a positive impact in addressing violence in Philadelphia. This group is called Healing Hurt People. Recognizing that survivors of violence too often have been impacted by their experience in ways that go unnoticed, Healing Hurt People (HHP) offers a hospital and community-based intervention to address the psychological and physical wounds of trauma.
We understand that violence takes a toll on people, and we provide support for people as they recover. They help young people and their families heal from trauma, stay safe, and plan the futures they want for themselves.
HHP is a program for people ages 8-35 who have been shot, stabbed, or assaulted, and for those who have witnessed these events.
The goal of the program is to help survivors heal from their physical and emotional wounds in order to support their well-being, personal healing, and ultimately, break the cycle of violence. We do this by providing trauma-focused evidence-based practices, trauma-informed peer services, and case management. We also connect people to physical health and other community resources as needed.
The leaders of Healing Hurt People are aware of the multiple barriers and stressors that children, adolescents, and young adults face in Philadelphia, which go beyond exposure to interpersonal violence. Despite tremendous resiliency and determination, the impact of ongoing racism, discrimination, and poverty can take a significant toll on our physical and mental health. To learn more about Healing Hurt People, call 215-762-1177.
Then how about reaching out to Philly’s Office of Violence Prevention. The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) implements strategies and initiatives to prevent, reduce, and end violence in Philadelphia. OVP is particularly focused on addressing gun violence. They work to create safer communities by Promoting violence prevention citywide – partnering with law enforcement, City agencies, and the community to develop and implement The Philadelphia Roadmap to Safer Communities; Investing in what works – using data and research to inform our investments in violence prevention, and Strengthening communities – mobilizing supports and providing positive alternatives in communities to help boost resilience among residents impacted by violence.
OVP also supports The Community Crisis Intervention Program (CCIP), which includes Violence Prevention Partnership, Targeted Community Investment Grant Program, Group Violence Intervention, and a Rapid Response Team. To learn more about this group, call 215-686-0789.
There are some other anti-violence groups that have been out on the front lines for a long time. Some say they’re disillusioned with the old guard and that we need “new” leaders with new and better ideas.”
Ok, but I say don’t forget from whence you’ve come and don’t kick good organizations with sincere leaders to the curb, because you think they’re too old, or because you may think, some people are disillusioned with them because they didn’t eradicate violence on the streets of Philadelphia all by themselves.
Stop it. I think it’s unfair to expect or think that any “one” nonprofit organization can change the world and heal the wounds of violence overnight or even in a decade. Unfortunately, it takes more time than that.
Organizations I think are still very worthy for the work they do include, but are not limited to: Mothers In Charge, 215-228-1718. Every Murder Is Real, (EMIR), 215-848-4068, The Sultan Jihad Ahmad Community Foundation, and Philadelphia Suicide and Crisis Center, 215-686-4420.
At the end of the day, all of us who are so-called grown folks must take some responsibility for what’s happening in Philadelphia in terms of the violence. No, we may not have shot a gun at someone. We may not have pulled out a knife and stabbed someone, etc., but if we see crime and we’re silent about it, we are almost as guilty as the perpetrators. Who is going to save us, from us, but us? And with that, I’ll drop my pen.