Austin Safety Net Works
The Austin Peace Force
“Usually in childhood, you come outside thinking you are going to have a good day. But around here, you can't hope for that because there is too much gang violence."
The Austin Safety Net Works (ASNW) is a
violence prevention coalition created in March 2008 by Westside Healthy
Authority and is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services.
The Austin Safety Net Works continues to organize through the Austin
Peace Force, a network of community volunteers and youth who develop and
implement the coalition’s peace-making strategies. In addition to
prevention and outreach, the Peace Force also provides pastoral care to
victims of violence and holds demonstrations to increase public
awareness.
In September, the Peace Force responded to
the brutal rape of a young woman, canvassing the neighborhood with a
description of the attacker, raising funds for the family, and securing
a $10,000 reward from a private citizen for information leading to the
arrest of the attacker.
Rape Victim Advocates, who provide services to survivors of sexual violence at their Austin office, has joined the Net Works in organizing a Stop Violence Against Women campaign. “To combat the issue of violence against women you have to be willing to transform our culture, challenging sexism, misogyny and other forms of oppression,” says Anika Sterling-Florez, who does public education with RVA. Peace Force members held a Take Back the Night vigil on November 11, 2008 to kick-off the campaign, which featured prayer and speeches by survivors.
The Net Works will also be launching an
Adopt-A-School Safety Initiative in the coming months, to work with
parents, youth and educators at local schools to coordinate violence
prevention education and organize safety patrols around the schools.
The Peace Force implemented its first safety patrols last year at
Spencer and May schools, and has learned from these early efforts how
vital the patrols are to creating positive school climates. To find out
more about Net Works efforts and events or to report a violent incident,
please call Karel Hammonds at 773-378-5034 x23.
The Austin Safety Net Works membership
includes Austin YMCA,
Every Block a Village,
Greater St John Bible
Church, LEADERS Network, MAD DADS, New Birth Christian Center,
Peace
Corner, Prodigal Sons, Rape Victim Advocates, South Austin Coalition,
United for a Cause, Westside Health Authority,
Young Creative Minds and
Youth Outreach Services.