The New Canaan-based Tow Foundation has given Fairfield University’s Center for Social Impact, Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP), and PT Partners a three-year, $1 million grant to research gun violence prevention in Bridgeport.
Although the number of gun homicides in Bridgeport is significantly lower today than it was in the 1980s and ’90s, rates have plateaued, indicative of the intractable nature of gun violence not only in Connecticut’s cities but those across the United States.
By building on what has worked in Bridgeport through the Youth Gun Violence Task force, project “Amplifying Resident Voices” expands on previous research and will assess, design and implement evidence-based solutions to persistent community violence. The goal is to eliminate gun violence by working alongside resident leadership at the three main public housing communities in Bridgeport – the P.T. Barnum Apartments, the Charles F. Greene Homes and Trumbull Gardens – to learn from community members affected by gun violence. This will be a replicable model that can be applied to other urban communities.
“We are deeply grateful for the Tow Foundation’s generous support of the ‘Amplifying Resident Voices’ project,” said Marc Donald, president and CEO of RYASAP. “The collaborative effort between RYASAP, Fairfield University, PT Partners and residents is a powerful example of how, together, data and community engagement can create a safer and healthier future for Bridgeport.”
