One Lexington awards $150,000 in violence prevention grants to grassroot organizations
News release provided by Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
Eighteen grassroots organizations, active in violence prevention across Lexington, are receiving grants from One Lexington, Mayor Linda Gorton announced today.
One Lexington is making progress in reducing gun violence among young people, thanks in part to the work of their community partners, Gorton said. “While our community partners take different approaches to reaching our youth, the message is the same: be safe, make good choices, and enjoy a bright future ahead.”
Last year saw a 10 percent decrease in homicides; and a 68 percent decrease in reported shooting victims, among victims, ages 10 to 29 years.
One Lexington Community Outreach Coordinator Larry Johnson said, “Gun violence affects the whole community … bullets don’t have eyes. Our community works together to prevent gun violence, and, when necessary, to intervene after the fact to bring resources and healing to survivors.”
This is the fourth year for the grant program. The first year, grants totaled $50,000; this year, $150,000.
More than 600 young people were served by programming sponsored by the community organizations that received grants last year.
Organizations submitted applications for the funding through Community Action Council, which vets each proposal and recommends organizations for funding. There were 25 applications submitted.
“Community Action Council is proud to continue partnering with One Lexington to facilitate the grant application process, and support community-led efforts that make a lasting impact on youth and young adults, and help strengthen community safety,” said Melissa Tibbs, Community Action Director of the Office of Sustainability.
The 18 organizations that received funding represent a variety of approaches to helping young people.
Christian Adair serves as the Director of the Alpha League, a recipient of a violence prevention grant. “This funding is more than just support … it’s an investment in the future of our youth and the safety of our city,” Adair said. “By empowering young boys and men with mentorship, leadership training, and purpose-driven engagement, we are actively working to prevent gun violence before it starts. Together, we’re creating a path toward peace, opportunity, and lasting change in Lexington.”
The 18 organizations that received One Lexington grants are:
- Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County—MADE Program – MADE for Summer is a four-week program for underserved youth ages 13–17 that promotes violence prevention and summer learning through hands-on activities and peer engagement. Students explore weekly topics like conflict resolution, career readiness, and community engagement, culminating in a student-led video promoting gun safety and social change.
- Lexington Rescue Mission-Project Peace – Project Peace provides crisis care, case management, and emergency support to high-risk individuals to prevent involvement in violent crime, while also connecting families to long-term resources for stability and safety. As part of this effort, the #lexgetloud social media campaign will raise awareness of youth gun violence in Lexington and spotlight local nonprofits leading prevention efforts.
- Hearts for Basketball Christian Academy – Pathways to Possibilities – The Hearts Exposure Camp Project empower underserved youth from marginalized communities through structured exposure to academic, cultural and professional environments. This program combines off-site excursions, through college tours, career visits, and nature retreats, with cognitive skills training in self-esteem, emotional regulation and decision-making.
- Operation Making a Change – A Time to Listen, Part 3 – A Time To Listen gives youth a platform to share how gun violence, gang involvement, opioid use, and related issues affect their lives and communities. Youth presenters will be selected from Team OMAC’s after-school and alternative-to-incarceration programs, while adults will include program participants, city leaders, and other stakeholders.
- Lexington Ravens Football Organization – Lexington Ravens Football Youth Development Program – The Lexington Ravens Youth Development Program empowers youth ages 10 to 21 through sports, mentorship, and hands-on career training. This program builds character and prepares youth to succeed and positively impact their communities into adulthood.
- Project Ricochet – Central Kentucky Black Family Conference – The Black Family Conference is a powerful and culturally responsive effort designed to uplift, educate, and empower Black families in Lexington by addressing the root causes of violence, promoting healing and wellness, and strengthening the protective structures that exist within families and neighborhoods.
- Exhilarating Inc. – Transitioning in Adulthood – The Transitioning into Adulthood program equips youth, ages 18–21, with life skills, emotional resilience, and practical knowledge in areas like financial literacy, career readiness, mental health, and independent living.
- Sisters and Supporters Working Against Gun Violence – S.W.A.G. Support and Services – SWAG Support and Services offers trauma-informed resources and support to survivors and families, while fostering a community of care, resilience and healing.
- FoodChain – Cultivating Change: Empowering Youth Through Urban Ag Internships – FoodChain’s Bluegrass Urban Farm Friends (BUFF) program offers paid internships to youth in Lexington’s 40508 area, using hands-on urban agriculture to build skills, mentorship, and community leadership as a strategy to prevent gun violence.
- Lexington Leadership Foundation, Inc. – The Leadership Academy – The Leadership Academy is a violence prevention program for youth in underserved Lexington neighborhoods who pose the highest likelihood of perpetrating or being the victim of gun violence.
- Seize Your Given Opportunity – Success Starts at Home – Success Starts at Home supports youth and individuals reentering society by providing mentorship, job training, and pathways to self-sufficiency.
- The Bridge Initiative – The Bridge Initiative helps youth in need of a safe and healthy environment to use art, music, theater, and dance to be creative.
- YMBBA Community Choirs – Growing up in tough neighborhoods, it is music and faith that gives direction and purpose. YMBBA Community Choir will offer Gospel in the Park in the West End community through the summer, and mentoring to help youth explore life’s challenges through creative outlets.
- Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families – Prevention Outreach Through Church and Youth-Group Focused Programming – KCGCF will partner with three churches in West/East End and Winburn to offer youth programs using art, music, and dance to process emotions, followed by fall sessions on coping, life skills, and conflict resolution, along with workshops for parents supporting grieving children. The series will begin with listening sessions to ensure youth help shape relevant programming.
- The Voyage Movement – Youth Workforce Empowerment Program – Our Youth Workforce Empowerment Program equips underserved youth with essential skills, training, and mentorship to secure sustainable employment and career advancement. Through hands-on workshops, professional development, and industry partnerships, participants gain technical skills, financial literacy, and workplace readiness.
- Community Inspired Lexington – CIL Summer Camp – The CIL Summer Camp is a four-week program offering educational and recreational activities in a safe environment, where youth engage in arts, conflict resolution, financial literacy, and discussions on gun violence to build confidence, self-expression, and life skills.
- Alpha League – Alpha League offers year-round leadership programs for youth, age 10–23, focusing on conflict resolution, life skills, and gun violence prevention through mentorship, emotional regulation, and peer-led initiatives. Through community service, youth-led PSAs, and engagement projects, the program fosters healing, purpose, and positive identity development.
- M’Power Rhythm – African Drumming with M’Power Rhythm: A Comprehensive Arts-Based Program in Youth and Community Development – M’Power Rhythm offers programming that empowers youth, honors culture, and builds community through ensemble African drumming.
News release provided by Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
