$100,000 in Illinois FIRST Projects for Chicago

SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan announced today that he is releasing $100,000 in Illinois FIRST funding to the Violence Prevention Peace Promotion Strategy.

The not-for-profit organization works to replace the values, attitudes, behaviors, institutions and systems of violence with those of peace through workshops, training and programs. The organization will serve 40,000 families and 180,000 people over five years in the communities of North Lawndale, South Lawndale, Brighton Park and Archer Heights.

One of the above communities, North Lawndale, is a pilot community in the Ryan Administration's Illinois Workforce Advantage (IWA) initiative. IWA is coordinating the efforts of diverse state agencies to strengthen community efforts to prevent youth violence and to prevent the entry of youth into the juvenile justice system.

This Illinois FIRST project was initiated by State Rep. Arthur L. Turner, D-Chicago.