The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (“OCFS”) has allocated $130,000 to the Erie County Youth Bureau to participate in Safe Summer NY 2021, part of NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recent multi-pronged statewide response to gun violence. The NYS investment of nearly $2 million provides grants for high gun violence neighborhoods throughout NYS and specific zones in New York City as well as Erie, Albany, Onondaga, Suffolk, and Nassau counties to support positive youth development activities that attract youth ages 14-24 at risk of being perpetrators or victims of gun violence in high-gun violence neighborhoods and census tracts.

“We have seen an increase in violence across our community in 2021 and this grant will be helpful in getting young people away from situations where gun violence happens,” said Commissioner of Social Service Marie A. Cannon. “By providing youth engagement activities at times when youth are more likely to congregate and potentially get into trouble we can help to keep that trouble from happening.”

The Erie County Department of Social Services will be identifying program partners to coordinate positive, ground-level connections with youth who may be involved with – or have the potential to be involved with – gun violence and intervene via a wide range of programming that could include mentorship, arts, recreation, or other more non-traditional approaches. The Safe Summer NY 2021 initiative will have a local focus on zip codes 14201, 14202, 14206, 14207, 14209, 14210, 14211, 14212, 14215, 14216 and 14222.    

    For more information:

    On the Erie County Youth Bureau, click here

    On the Erie County Department of Social Services, visit https://www2.erie.gov/socialservices/ 

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