ST. LOUIS — Everytown Community Safety Fund is awarding the Bullet Related Injury Clinic in St. Louis $100,000 as part of the nonprofit's nationwide investment toward ending gun violence.
“This new grant from the Everytown Community Safety Fund will allow us to continue our lifesaving work by ensuring our program has the consistent staffing and patient supplies needed to sustain our mobile engagement and clinical space," Dr. LJ Punch, executive director and founder of the BRIC.
This grant is part of a bigger mission to end gun violence using gun violence intervention organizations across the country. This award is part of Everytown's $2 million investment nationwide announced Thursday.
"We are incredibly grateful our work is being recognized and invested in, giving us the opportunity to help more the greater St. Louis metropolitan area heal from the injuries that bullets create, and in turn, prevent future injuries," Punch said.
The BRIC received an innovation grant from Evertown in 2023, according to Michael-Sean Spence, managing director of Community Safety Initiatives at Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and creator of the Everytown Community Safety Fund.
This year Sean-Spencer said they were able to afford them even greater support.
"We support evidence, informed strategies like street outreach, hospital-based violence intervention programs, youth focused programs as well. We also invest at a smaller level in innovation grants. These are strategies that might not be as evidence informed, but are utilizing the public health lens to help the highest risk. Folks hopefully stop the cycle of violence," Sean- Spence said.
This process begins with Moms Demand Action volunteers across the nation being asked the following questions:
- Who's doing the work?
- Who deserves support?
- Who can operationalize our dollars?
Then an advisory board made up of academics, advocates, survivors, researchers and people on the frontline are asked to review the surveys and share any additional groups for consideration, according to Sean-Spencer.
He also said Everytown ensures that every group is a 501(C)3 organization.
Internally, the list is brought down to 15 to 20 candidates who must apply. The application presents a proposal for how they would use the grant funds.
If awarded, "we give them the opportunity to utilize those grants for whatever needs they have in pursuit of their proposal that they've set forth in their application," Sean-Spencer said. "We're very proud that we provide unrestricted grants because so many programs are reliant on grants that they have to wait, to be reimbursed or tied to specific expenses with restrictions. We really try to break down those barriers to help fuel these programs towards success."
Jones said in the press release by Everytown. that "gun violence prevention requires intervention and investment at every level, from the federal government to those doing the work on the ground."
"Support from the 2024 Everytown Community Safety Fund will help BRIC continue their critical work of ending cycles of violence and gun-related injuries. Together, we will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our communities – no matter their zip code.”
Sean-Spencer called St. Louis a priority for Everytown.
"We recognize that we have to go where gun violence is having a disproportionate impact, particularly on black and brown communities. Unfortunately, that has happened in St. Louis, and it has persisted," he added.
The solution to the problem is to invest in community-based organizations like the BRIC.
"We pride ourselves on delivering more than a check," Sean-Spencer said. He plans to bring a network of like-minded people together to end gun violence.
Everytown currently supports 136 programs in 69 cities.
