ALSO Hosts Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Advocacy Meeting on Chicago’s Northwest Side
A full house attended a recent community violence intervention (CVI) advocacy meeting hosted by the Alliance of Social Service Organizations (ALSO) on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 on Chicago’s Northwest Side. The gathering was organized to hear residents public safety concerns and to discuss ALSO’s CVI work in East Humboldt Park, West Humboldt Park, West Town, Logan Square, Albany Park, Avondale, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa and Irving Park.
Community leaders, legislators and stakeholders participated in the meeting at the new Chicago Community Justice Foundation community center in Hermosa, including Alderwoman Jesse Fuentes (26th Ward), Alderman Daniel LaSpata (1st Ward), IL Sen Natalie Toro (20th District) and IL Rep Lindsey LaPointe (19th District). Staff representing Alderman Walter Burnett (27th Ward), Alderman Gilbert Villegas (36th Ward), IL Rep Will Guzzardi (39th District) and IL Rep Mike Quigley (5th District) also joined the discussion.
“We invited you here with intention, to hear from you about your communities and to share our collective commitment to safe and peaceful spaces,” said ALSO Executive Director Lori Crowder.
The conversation focused on ALSO’s holistic and comprehensive violence intervention approach, which includes street outreach, domestic violence services, civil legal aid, workforce development and housing assistance.
“As the Director of Safe Streets, our outreach team has grown to meet our communities’ needs,” said Jose Pizarro of ALSO. “We are now operating in nine neighborhoods. We have increased victim services, case management and street outreach workers. We are trying to prevent and deescalate violence with the street-involved stakeholders to reach the guys wreaking havoc.
“We see a connection between domestic violence and shooting and we are trying to do something positive to move them in a positive direction,” continued Pizarro. “Through relentless engagement our teams work with all survivors.”
Ald. LaSpata applauded ALSO’s success, saying “I’ve seen firsthand the work your outreach workers have done. In my ward, since we’ve brought on ALSO, we have seen an 80 percent reduction in shootings and a 100 percent reduction in homicides.”
Ald. LaSpata called for more adequate funding. “Let’s make sure we are paying people what they deserve. You should be paid like a professional, he said.
“What resources are needed, what have you been thinking about?,” asked IL Rep. Lindsey LaPointe. “I remember in 2015 – our social service budgets were spiked. Something I’ve been thinking a lot about is our serious workforce shortage in behavioral health, mental health and addiction services. How does this workforce pressure contribute to violence?”
“Young people live in survival mode every day of their lives,” said ALSO Street Outreach Professional Christine Escalera. “We need to increase access to all of these services. If I have a participant who needs help, and the wait is six months long, that doesn’t work. We need to have in-house services for our people. We need to give them support and show them something different.”
Pizarro added, “Our partners – Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, Communities Partnering 4 Peace and Chicago CRED are part of an initiative to help increase these workforces to bring down violence. We are constantly looking at data to reach and serve our historically underserved communities. It’s all part of the puzzle.”
Recent research estimates that $1.2 billion is needed to scale CVI services in Chicago to meet the needs of those likely to shoot or be shot.