On March 21st and 28th a total of forty-one (41) West Garfield Park youth had the grand opportunity to travel to the State Capital in Springfield, Illinois for the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority (IVPA) budget hearings regarding funding for the Safety Net Works Violence Prevention Initiative.
When we arrived youth attended pre-hearings, signed petitions, met with State Senators to advocate preserving funding for West Garfield Park and ensuring our communities have the resources to maintain programs and services vital to the health and well-being of our children, youth and families.