Contact: Elaine Tricoli
Phone:  373-2421

Grant to Benefit Hope Project

GREENSBORO – The Guilford County Community Collaborative has awarded $39,200 to the City of Greensboro to hire a staff person who can extend the City’s gang intervention efforts through community outreach. The grant was announced during a news conference today.

The Community Outreach worker will further the efforts of the Hope Project, a program of the City’s Parks & Recreation Department. The purpose of the Hope Project is to intervene in the lives of those who are at risk for becoming involved in gang activities and to assist those gang members who want to get out.

“The Guilford County Community Collaborative oversees the development of core services necessary to develop a local system of care, and identify gaps in the services of our community,” said Steve Hayes, assistant director of Guilford County Social Services. “We believe that gang prevention is one such gap, and so we have made this funding available.”

Gang activity has consistently increased in Greensboro and the surrounding areas during the past 20 years. The Greensboro Police Department has validated 236 gang members in Greensboro, a 46 percent increase over the last year. Police say a significant number of violent crimes can be connected to gang activity, including four recent homicides in Greensboro.

Using existing community agencies and resources, the Hope Project works with at-risk youth in Greensboro to help them find alternatives to gang membership. With the assistance of some 40 agencies and more than 60 individuals, the Hope Project offers a variety of services to at-risk youth.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to extend our gang prevention efforts through community outreach,” said Darryl Kosciak, director of the Youth First program for the City’s Parks & Recreation Department. “By having a person dedicated to outreach, we can begin to have positive impacts on the lives of more young people.”

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