Health & Human services

Long Beach GRIP Project

The City of Long Beach has been awarded a three-year, $1.5 million California Gang Reduction, Intervention, and Prevention Program (CalGRIP) grant to support anti-gang efforts and prevent the victimization of at-risk female youth. This is the seventh consecutive year that the City has been a recipient of the CalGRIP grant. Since 2008, more than 2,200 Long Beach youth and families have been served by CalGRIP funded programs and services.

My Sister's Keeper is part of Safe Long Beach, the City's Violence Prevention Plan. Adopted by the City Council in May 2014, Safe Long Beach addresses a broad safety agenda aimed at reducing all forms of violence, including domestic abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, hate crimes, bullying, gang violence, and violent crime. The Plan draws upon the City's many existing assets to target violence at its root and attain the goal of building a safer Long Beach by 2020.

For more information, contact Teresa Gomez, Human Dignity Coordinator, at 562.570.6730 or teresa.gomez@longbeach.gov.

GRIP Advisory Council Members

Advisory Council Vision
We envision a community where youth are highly valued, well educated, skilled for the 21st century workplace, healthy, law abiding, and contributing members of society who respect the rights of others and themselves.

Mission
The Advisory Council is committed to eradicating violence among youth and young adults by networking resources, promoting public awareness and educating youth and young adults of their value to the preservation of our human race, thereby saving lives.

Meetings
Members are expected to attend quarterly meetings, subcommittee meetings and special trainings. The meetings are held on the second Monday of designated months from 5:30pm - 7:30pm at The Center for Working Families, 1900 Atlantic Avenue. Click here for meeting minutes.

Membership
Advisory Council members will be made up of representatives from the community, City, County law enforcement, District Attorney's office, local law enforcement, school district, County Office of Education and local educational agencies, community and faith-based organizations and businesses. Click here for Advisory Council Members.

Roles & Responsibilities

The Advisory Council will:

• Serve as a governing body which provides leadership and policy level decision-making
• Monitor progress and evaluates effectiveness
• Offer guidance, establish committees to research warranted issues, provide approval to recommended changes
• Identify potential funding sources for the project
• Ensure that the overall strategy is in alignment with the state's vision as well as target area initatives and goals
• Serve as active participants in all aspects of the project, including education, promotion, implementation of strategies
• Support the target community and agencies implementing services
• Review reports, monitor goals, ensure compliance, and make recommendations to develop a comprehensive plan compatible with resources groups and programs already in the community

Public Educational Awareness Campaign

This campaign will communicate anti-gang messages which de-glorify and de-glamorize violence through the promotion of positive character and community and social values, such as integrity, responsibility, accountability and respect. LB GRIP Project staff will work with community-based organizations that serve groups most affected by violence to develop messages that are culturally and linguistically sensitive to the diverse population in the city (i.e., multi-lingual brochures, billboards, bus stop ads, multi-ethnic events, web site, TV ads, etc.).

A team of community agencies, educational entities, City departments, and local television stations will share resources (including middle, high school and college student participation) to create this campaign intended for child, youth and adult audiences.