18 Lexington violence prevention groups get $150K in grants. Where’s the money going?
A city initiative addressing violence awarded six figures worth of grants to violence prevention programs in the city.
On Wednesday, One Lexington announced awards totaling $150,000 split between 18 Lexington-based violence prevention organizations. The initiative, which addresses youth and young adult gun violence through government partnerships and community resources, according to its website, is in the fourth year of its violence prevention grant program, the release states.
“Gun violence affects the whole community,” One Lexington Community Outreach Coordinator, Larry Johnson, said in a news release. “Our community works together to prevent gun violence, and, when necessary, to intervene after the fact to bring resources and healing to survivors.”
One Lexington has seen an increase from $50,000 to $150,000 over its four years of grant giving, according to the release. Last year, “more than 600 young people were served by programming sponsored by the community organizations that received grants last year,” the release states.
In 2024, One Lexington awarded 16 grants totaling $106,000. According to the release, last year saw a 10% decrease in homicides and a 68% decrease in reported shooting victims from ages 10-29.
The Community Action Council, which receives and reviews applicants, received 25 applicants for this year’s funding, according to the release.
Lexington organizations that received grant money
Christian Adair, director of the Alpha League, a year-round leadership program that received a grant, said the funding is “an investment in the future of our youth and the safety of our city.”
“By empowering young boys and men with mentorship, leadership training, and purpose-driven engagement, we are actively working to prevent gun violence before it starts,” Adair said in the release. “Together, we’re creating a path toward peace, opportunity, and lasting change in Lexington.”
According to the release, the 18 organizations that received grants are:
- Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County — MADE program — A four-week program for underserved youth ages 13–17 that promotes violence prevention and summer learning through hands-on activities and peer engagement.
- Lexington Rescue Mission-Project Peace — Project Peace provides crisis care, case management and emergency support to high-risk individuals to prevent involvement in violent crime, while also connecting families to long-term resources for stability and safety.
- Hearts For Basketball Christian Academy - Pathways to Possibilities — Empowers underserved youth from marginalized communities through structured exposure to academic, cultural and professional environments.
Operation Making a Change - A Time to Listen, Part 3 — Gives youth a platform to share how gun violence, gang involvement, opioid use and related issues affect their lives and communities.
Lexington Ravens Football Organization - Lexington Ravens Football Youth Development Program — Empowers youth ages 10 to 21 through sports, mentorship and hands-on career training.
Project Ricochet - Central Kentucky Black Family Conference — A powerful and culturally responsive effort designed to uplift, educate and empower Black families in Lexington.
Exhilarating Inc. - Transitioning in Adulthood — Equips youth, ages 18–21, with life skills, emotional resilience and practical knowledge in areas like financial literacy, career readiness, mental health and independent living.
Sisters and Supporters Working Against Gun Violence - S.W.A.G. Support and Services — Offers trauma-informed resources and support to survivors and families, while fostering a community of care, resilience and healing.
FoodChain - Cultivating Change: Empowering Youth Through Urban Ag Internships — Offers paid internships to youth in Lexington’s 40508 area, using hands-on urban agriculture to build skills, mentorship and community leadership as a strategy to prevent gun violence.
Lexington Leadership Foundation, Inc. - The Leadership Academy — A violence prevention program for youth in underserved Lexington neighborhoods who pose the highest likelihood of perpetrating or being the victim of gun violence.
Seize Your Given Opportunity - Success Starts at Home — Supports youth and individuals reentering society by providing mentorship, job training and pathways to self-sufficiency.
The Bridge Initiative — Helps youth in need of a safe and healthy environment to use art, music, theater and dance to be creative.
YMBBA Community Choirs — Will offer Gospel in the Park in the West End community through the summer, and mentoring to help youth explore life’s challenges through creative outlets.
Kentucky Center for Grieving Children and Families (KCGCF) - Prevention Outreach Through Church and Youth-Group Focused Programming — Will partner with three churches in West/East End and Winburn to offer youth programs using art, music and dance to process emotions, followed by fall sessions on coping, life skills and conflict resolution, along with workshops for parents supporting grieving children.
The Voyage Movement - Youth Workforce Empowerment Program — Equips underserved youth with essential skills, training and mentorship to secure sustainable employment and career advancement.
Community Inspired Lexington - CIL Summer Camp — A four-week program offering educational and recreational activities in a safe environment, where youth engage in arts, conflict resolution, financial literacy and discussions on gun violence to build confidence, self-expression and life skills.
Alpha League — Offers year-round leadership programs for youth, age 10–23, focusing on conflict resolution, life skills and gun violence prevention through mentorship, emotional regulation and peer-led initiatives.
M’Power Rhythm - African Drumming with M’Power Rhythm: A Comprehensive Arts-Based Program in Youth and Community Development — Offers programming that empowers youth, honors culture and builds community through ensemble African drumming.