Organizations and individuals who pitch proposals to reduce violence in Grand Rapids could be awarded financial support to make those ideas possible.
“We try to look at what will have the most impact on the community, certainly innovative ideas are important, and then we make the decision that evening at the Pitch Night.”
Milinda Ysasi is a 2nd Ward City Commissioner and one of the co-chairs of the SAFE Task Force. She says the competition is a powerful way to get residents involved in the safety of their own communities.
“Oftentimes, people are doing this grassroots work or smaller community work because they have been impacted by violence or see it impact somebody that they care about or love and so they have that lived experience that can really inform, hopefully, innovative and more impactful solutions.”
Proposals can be submitted on the City of Grand Rapids website through October 21st. Individuals will then present their ideas at Pitch Night on October 29th at GRPS University. Five winners will partner with SAFE, who will provide up to $10,000 to support their efforts.
