The Creating Safe, Equitable & Thriving Communities Fund was established in 2018 through a partnership with the City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, and the Cedar Rapids Community School District to address inter-relational factors that lead to youth violence in Cedar Rapids. It funds programs that approach systemic causes of economic, racial, and academic disparities and aim to avoid, reduce, or stop high risk behaviors that can lead to involvement with the criminal justice system. 
Community Foundation Receives Grant Award for SET Efforts
The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation announces a $465,000 grant award to support the work of the Creating Safe, Equitable and Thriving Communities (SET) Fund. The grant, awarded through a competitive process by an anonymous funder, will increase the funding pool available to nonprofit organizations for SET programs, and will aid in the implementation of Group Violence Intervention (GVI), an evidence-based approach developed by the National Network for Safe Communities (NNSC).

The National Network will provide intensive strategic advising to assist key Cedar Rapids partners and stakeholders—including nonprofit organizations, law enforcement, and community leaders—to shift the way they work together to communicate to violent street groups and deliver on promises of violence reduction. Cities of all sizes across America have improved safety through this multi-sector approach, resulting in significant and measurable reductions in gun violence. Bringing organizations together to implement this model will be transformational.
NNSC to Introduce GVI at Iowa Ideas Conference
Save the date and Register for the Iowa Ideas Conference on October 15th & 16th, 2020. For four years now the Iowa Ideas Conference has gathered leaders and industry experts from across the state to discuss its important issues. This year Group Violence Intervention (GVI) will be the topic of an October 16th breakout session and closing keynote for the conference. GVI is a comprehensive, evidence-based, life-saving violence reduction strategy that brings community members together with law enforcement and social service providers to focus an antiviolence message on highly active street groups. David Kennedy, executive director and co-founder of the National Network for Safe Communities — a John Jay College research center at City University of New York — will address National Network for Safe Community’s (NNCS) history and work and the impact it can have on a community addressing group violence — regardless of that community’s size.
Laurie Owen, National Network Group Violence Intervention associate director, and Paul Smith, the network’s reconciliation director, will participate in a panel on group violence intervention at this year’s conference. Owen and Smith will discuss how the program developed and how attendees can use some of its concepts in their communities. This year the Iowa Ideas Conference is virtual and has free access! Click here to register.
ReSET 2020 Outreach Continues Anti-Violence Efforts 
During a summer where gun violence incidents increased to an all-time high, SET grantees and community volunteers worked with nonprofit partners, local government, social services, and volunteers to launch the ReSET 2020 Youth & Family Challenge as a way for groups to adapt their work in helping families navigate the new challenges of 2020. What was initially going to be a summer outreach program to high-risk youth and families will continue through the end of 2020.
ReSET 2020 outreach workers have been working to establish relationships with youth and families who are at highest risk of violent victimization, meet them where they are, and do everything possible to support them. The support comes in different forms, such as providing basic needs, a listening ear, developing safety plans, linkages to formal support services and crisis intervention.
Our high school students are still not in the school buildings and Covid-19 is still hindering the ability for programs to gather participants and meet face-to-face. Outreach workers have spent the summer building relationships with youth and families and will continue to build on those relationships and offer supports and referrals when needed. “This work needs to continue.” Said one ReSET 2020 Outreach Worker. “Our youth and families deserve this and to feel a part of the community.” 
ReSET 2020 Documentary
Producer Josh Booth helped ReSET 2020 capture some of the impact gun violence has had on our community in a 12-minute documentary. In “When You Pick Up A Gun,” the mothers and friends of gun violence victims speak out about the impact on their lives. “My son left on a Friday night, I thought to go play video games with friends,” said Lisa Cook, mother of Andrew Gaston. “He came home in a box.” Andrew, 18, was shot and killed on January 24 by another teen. To hear more of Andrew’s story, view the documentary here: ReSET Documentary
ReSET 2020 Social Media Influencers
Meet the ReSET 2020 Social Media Influencer Interns! Mijah Jones, Helena McDermott and Kadin Waddell have been helping keep ReSET Social Media platforms fresh and relevant! Check out their work!
Partnership Highlight
US Attorney’s Office
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide United States Department of Justice initiative that brings together law enforcement officials and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. Locally, this program is headed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa with offices in Cedar Rapids and Sioux City. PSN’s goal is to create safer communities by using every available means to reduce gun violence, gun crime, and sustain those reductions. While the prosecution for federal violent and firearms crimes is a part of the program, prosecution alone cannot solve the problem of violent crime. Therefore, PSN also works within communities to prevent crime. 

For example, the United States Attorney’s Office worked with Waterloo community organizations and others to establish the Iowa Safe Task Force (“Task Force”) in early 2018. Task Force participants include local and federal law enforcement agencies, the Black Hawk County Attorney’s Office, state and federal probation offices, social service agencies, and faith-based organizations. The Task Force’s mission is to create strategic partnerships between law enforcement groups and the community to employ data-driven strategies to reduce violent crime in the Waterloo Metropolitan Area. One such strategy is call-in meetings during which federal and state law enforcement authorities tell invited groups that their continued participation in violent crime will not be tolerated.  Invitees also hear from members of social service agencies offering assistance in finding employment, education opportunities, and housing. 

Also, as part of its PSN deterrence efforts, the United States Attorney’s Office has long participated in WARN meetings in Cedar Rapids. WARN meetings follow a similar format to call-in meetings described above but are targeted at those individuals who are involved in the criminal justice system. Attendees are warned of potential consequences if they continue their criminal activity and are provided information about area social services and resources to help them break from the cycle of violent crime.

The United States Attorney’s Office is also leading a school antiviolence initiative, bringing together federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors, juvenile court services, schools, mental health providers and emergency managers to identify policies, resources and challenges in preventing targeted school violence. As a result, the stakeholders have created a school safety resource guide distributed to law enforcement and school administrators throughout in Northern Iowa. 

The United States Attorney’s Office is always looking for additional PSN partnerships to protect the community. For more information about how PSN program includes the collaboration with the community, please see this video PSN: Working Together to Stop Violent Crime and Making Communities Safer. Additional information can also be found here. The local contact for PSN information is Assistant United States Attorney Emily Nydle; she can be reached at 319-363-6333.
Upcoming Opportunities
SET Fund Currently Accepting Applications

The SET Fund is accepting applications through October 1, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. Priority will be given to projects informed by research and evidence-based practices, and to applicants who involve directly affected community members in program design and implementation. Grant applicants are expected to engage in the implementation of the GVI model through monthly local SET network meetings, quarterly trainings, and attendance at the NNSC 2021 National Conference.

To learn more about the SET Grant Fund, click here.
Webinar: The Effects of Trauma on Children, Youth and Families

On Tuesday, September 29 from 2:00pm to 3:30pm ET the National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) will be hosting the introductory webinar The Effects of Trauma on Children, Youth and Families. This is the first in a series of three webinars that focus on the effects of trauma on children and a trauma-informed approach to caring for children and families that have experienced trauma.

Click here to register.
Questions, comments, or ideas for future SET Newsletters, please contact:
Rachel Rockwell
SET Program Officer
319.200.4007
About the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation
Through professional philanthropic services, strategic investments, and community leadership, the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation connects donors who care with causes that matter. The Community Foundation is a public, nonprofit organization with assets totaling more than $187 million and over 1,000 different charitable funds, large and small, established by individuals, families, nonprofit organizations and businesses to benefit Linn County, Iowa. Our vision: To be a trusted partner in charitable giving, improving the quality of life in our community…forever. Our mission: To help donors give in meaningful ways, to strengthen nonprofits, and to provide leadership that supports a vibrant community. For more information on the Community Foundation, visit www.gcrcf.org or visit us on Facebook. 
Collaborative Partners