October MyCom Newsletter Banner 

 Cuyahoga County youth join a Defending Childhood event to help promote safe homes, schools, relationships, and communities.

 

  MyCom: My Commitment, My Community

 A public-private partnership dedicated to connecting youth to caring adults and positive options in a safe environment.

 

Greetings!     

 

October is crime prevention month and the National Crime Prevention Council is hosting Celebrate Safe Communities (CSC)!

 

It was developed in 2008 in partnership with the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) to promote crime prevention in local communities across the country. A CSC event can be anything large or small, such as an anti-drug march, a community safety fair, or a neighborhood cleanup.
 

MyCom celebrates safe communities and actions that promote positive youth development by creating safe neighborhoods. Neighborhoods where recreation centers were able to stay open until 11:00pm saw a reduction in the number of criminal incidents.

 

How can your neighborhood become safer? Learn more about the National Crime Prevention Council and ways to stay safe!

 

 

Local youth become "Defenders" against violence

Defending Childhood's 2-1-1 community access line highlights that "We all have the power to stop violence"

 

More than 60 percent of kids have been exposed to crime, abuse, and violence. The same percentage of middle school students and nearly half of high school students reported having been in a physical fight over the past year, according to a survey administered by the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Nearly 16 percent of students in the same survey reported carrying a weapon such as a knife or gun in the past 30 days.

 

Recently, teens from Cuyahoga County who are doing positive change work in their communities met U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach, during an event announcing that a United Way 2-1-1 community access line will connect to services for children exposed to violence part of the Defending Childhood initiative.

  

The youth participants represented local programs and initiatives that actively promote anti-violence through creative expression and service in their communities, including MyCom, the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center's Youth 360, Scenarios USA, Golden Ciphers, STANCE, and various school districts.


Attorney General Eric Holder launched the Defending Childhood Initiative to take an in-depth look at the problem of children exposed to violence. Both direct and indirect exposure to violence has a profound negative impact on the mental and emotional development of young people across the country.

 

"We know that children who are exposed to violence are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to commit acts of violence themselves," said Attorney General Holder. "By working together to identify the children who need our help, we can intervene more quickly, break cycles of violence more effectively, and help these children heal, grow and thrive."

 

Read the full press release here.

 

Benefits of Safe & Walkable Communities

Walkability offers surprising benefits to our health, the environment, our finances, and our communities.

 

Health: The average resident of a walkable neighborhood weighs 6-10 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood. Cities with good public transit and access to amenities promote happiness.

 

Environment: 82% of CO2 emissions are from burning fossil fuels. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines.

 

Finances: Cars are the second largest household expense in the U.S. One point of Walk Score is worth up to $3,000 of value for your property.

 

Communities: Studies show that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10%.

 

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MyCom Quick Connects

 

Youth & Parents:

 

After-school Programs for Any Age: Call Starting Point at 216-575-0061

 

Youth Leadership Teams (ages 13-19): Call Partnership for a Safer Cleveland at 216-523-1128 or download flyer.

 

Youth Work Experience: Visit Youth Opportunities Unlimited.

 

Business & Community Professionals:
 
Access to Professional Development and Free Referrals for Youth Programs: Register your program in the MyCom Positive Activities database.
 
Build Our Future Workforce: Register your business.
 
Networking: Meet people from other sectors of your community by joining a neighborhood team. Call Neighborhood Leadership Institute at 216-812-8700.
Art Contest Entry for Defending Childhood
A local youth created this piece of  artwork and entered it in the Defending Childhood art contest.
 
Contribute Your Ideas for Safety!
 

Youth leaders, caring adults, and all Cuyahoga County residents who want to see safer homes, schools, streets: contribute your ideas and expertise! Defending Childhood has multiple teams thinking about and doing anti-violence work. Maybe the Community Engagement and Awareness team is right for you? Contact Jakolya Gordon at jgordon@cuyahogacounty.us or

216-348-4398 to learn more.

 

 
 

Save the Date!
 
 
MyCom Annual Meeting
 
 Co-Hosted by
 MAGNET
MAGNET 
 December 7, 2012
 8:00am-10:30am
  Windows on the River

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MyCom: My Commitment, My Community

Visit us at: www.MyCom.net

 

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