BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The city of Birmingham has awarded $200,000 in microgrants to 14 local organizations working to prevent youth violence and support at-risk families through the RESTORE program, officials announced. The money comes from a 2023 U.S. Department of Justice Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative grant and is intended to expand wraparound services for court-involved, at-risk and high-risk youth ages 11 to 19.
The grants are designed to support mentorship, workforce readiness, education assistance, life coaching and family stabilization services, according to the city and reporting from BirminghamWatch. The city said the effort is part of its broader strategy to address violent crime by focusing on root causes and community-based intervention.
RESTORE stands for Reduce, Educate, Support, Train, Organize, Realize, Empower, according to the Birmingham city website. BirminghamWatch reported that the microgrants are meant to bolster services connected to Jefferson County Family Resource Center’s RESTORE program.
The city’s announcement identifies 14 recipients, including groups focused on mentoring, housing support, crisis response, arts-based healing, workforce development and family services.