Children’s donates money to push peace, curb violence

Serghino René

In response to the city’s escalating violence among youth, Children’s Hospital donated nearly $1 million to 31 different groups throughout the city to promote peace and violence prevention.

“Violence is not only a public safety issue, but a very real public health issue,” said Dr. James Mandell, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital. “In our role as a community hospital to the children of Boston with a mission to help prevent injury, it is imperative for Children’s to take concrete steps to reduce violence in our neighborhoods. We know that this package will put funding into the hands of people and groups who make a difference every day in their communities.”

The funds will be used to create more than 150 summer youth jobs, recreation opportunities, summer camp scholarships and youth development programs.

In an effort to raise awareness and support community events, some of the funding will go towards Roxbury’s National Night Out, hosted by the Boston Police. Violence prevention grants will be given to a number of organizations, including the Crispus Attucks Children Center’s Violence Prevention project for three- and four-year-olds, and the Dudley Square Neighborhood Initiative’s Gotcha program, which develops strategies for youth involvement and will receive funding to hire young adult mentors.

Another portion of the funding will go towards improving recreational facilities, including the Melnea Cass Memorial Pool, as well as supporting community health centers throughout the city, including Roxbury Comp Community Health Center and the Bowdoin Street Health Center.

“Mayor Menino has been an inspiration as he has advocated for all of the institutions in Boston to step up and help. We agree completely with his assertion that our whole community needs to come together to work for peace in our city, and this package of support is just one way we want to join with him, and our many community partners, to promote peace in the city of Boston,” said Dr. Mandell.

Identifying violence as a public health issue is a relatively new idea. While there is still much research still to be done, there is a growing professional and public awareness of the impact of violence exposure on the developing child. It may have a devastating effect on emotional growth, cognitive development and physical health.

According to the National Center of Children Exposed to Violence, studies indicate that child exposure to violence linked with increased depression, anxiety, anger, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as a significant decrease in academic achievement. Each year, as many as 10 million children may witness, or be victims of, violence in their own homes.

Children’s Hospital spent a great deal of time seeking input from the community as a means of developing productive and efficient safety approaches. Being the largest health care provider to Boston children, Dr. Mandell’s mission was to take concrete and active steps towards reducing violence among the city’s youth.

“Our overall focus is to prevent violence among youth,” said Dr. Mandell.

Children’s Hospital met with a group of expert physicians, nurses, social workers and others to determine the role the hospital should play in the community to prevent and mitigate the impact of violence.

“We clearly need to listen to the community because what we do highly relates to their environment,” said Dr. Mandell.