Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)
LOS ANGELES, CA — Today, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) presented $500,000 checks to 2nd Call and The Experience Christian Ministries (ECM), two organizations working to address community violence in South LA through intervention programs. 2nd Call and ECM were two of 15 organizations that Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove secured a total of $12.4 million for through FY24 community project funding requests.
The two checks were presented following a roundtable discussion with leadership and program participants from 2nd Call and ECM, local faith leaders, and representatives from the California Department of Justice (CA DOJ). The discussion focused on understanding current gaps in collaboration with the CA DOJ and how to best advocate for federal resources and policies.
“Keeping Angelenos safe is a top priority of mine in Congress, and supporting the efforts of community partners who do the groundwork to uplift our at-risk youth and community members is central to that goal,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “Throughout my career, I have been proud to work with incredible organizations like 2nd Call and ECM that provide healing and violence interruption services to promote safety in our neighborhoods. Both organizations are truly deserving of this funding, and I look forward to seeing how they will use these investments to continue changing lives in California’s 37th District.”
“This critical funding allows us to leverage the influence and strength of the African-American church to bring healing, reconciliation, and peace to our community. We are grateful to Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove for her continued investment in South LA and in black churches that have served this community for decades,” said Anthony “Shep” Crawford, Executive Director of ECM CDC.
“The funding given from US Congresswoman Kamlager Dove to 2nd Call will help to ensure the legacy of peace that 2nd Call has been facilitating in each of the communities that have engaged with our healing efforts,” said Skipp Townsend, 2nd Call Co-Founder, CEO and Executive Director.
“The Community Healing Collaborative is about bringing nonprofit, public, and faith-based organizations together to address generational trauma in South LA. We believe our collaborative represents a fresh multidisciplinary approach to healing, community-building, and—above all else—community-based public safety,” said Jessica Ellis, Executive Director of Centinela Youth Services.
“Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove continues to be a champion for the South LA community. Her investment in community healing will yield dividends for generations to come. We are deeply appreciative of her advocacy for her district and her willingness to invest in this innovative approach to community-led and community-driven public safety,” said Joe Paul, lead of Promise Enterprises LLC.
THE EXPERIENCE CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES’ COMMUNITY HEALING COLLABORATIVE: BRINGING PEACE TO SOUTH LOS ANGELES PROJECT:
This project will address gang and community violence by training faith leaders and former gang members in violence interruption, transforming neighborhood churches into safety and service hubs for CA-37 communities, and hosting healing sessions for those who survived violence, both as victims and as perpetrators. This model follows evidence-based and evidence-informed practices that emphasize empowering community members to interrupt the violence in their neighborhoods. Learn more about The Experience Christian Ministries here.
2ND CALL’S YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT:
This project will help increase and sustain the delivery of trauma-informed, developmentally sensitive, culturally relevant services for violence reduction, specifically for the youth in the 37th District who have been affected by poverty, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other traumas. The project will create an organizational infrastructure and safe haven for the most high-risk populations in Los Angeles, providing opportunities for them to address everyday trauma problems, receive mentoring, and learn how to become advocates within their communities. Learn more about 2nd Call here.
# # #
