Get Involved

The Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia offered residents and organizations a variety of ways for residents to get involved and collaborate in making a safer Philadelphia. Some ways people got involved included:

Learned more about the issue of youth violence—and how it can be prevented

• The Blueprint campaign provided the speakers for organizations interested in hosting community forums on violence.

Engaged in advocacy

• Residents advocated the city, state and federal levels for policies and programs that could prevent violence “on the front end,” such as supporting better education and more jobs, along with funding for after-school and summer enrichment programs.
• Residents shared their concerns with policymakers and public officials and demanded that they make violence prevention the #1 priority.
• Residents contacted the media to tell them that ending youth violence is important to them, and to other viewers and listeners.
• Residents helped us promote the good things that young people in Philadelphia were doing by nominating positive youth for recognition.
• Local retailers offered employment and provided summer jobs and internships to inner city youth and young adults in order to keep them off the streets, improve their life chances, and strengthen the local economy.

Providing financial support

• Organizations supported programs that encouraged education and positive conflict resolution. They also made donations to local CBOs and other non-profit groups working to prevent violence and provide support to its victims.
• Organizations sponsored activities that provided an alternative to the streets and gave young people something constructive to do. These activities taught essential skills like working with others toward a common goal, discipline and responsibility, all while building self-esteem.