Fort Worth City Council Members are scheduled to vote on an enormous grant for The Violence Intervention & Prevention program often called VIP FW.
FORT WORTH, Texas — A grassroots program in Fort Worth is getting some a lot wanted monetary assist from City leaders.
The Violence Intervention and Prevention Program targets neighborhoods just like the Stop 6 space with hopes of reaching individuals extra apt to be concerned in felony actions. The aim is to be certain crime would not really feel at residence in such neighborhoods.
Qutione Solomon serves as what’s often called an agent for VIP Fort Worth.
“My motto is be the change you need to see,” mentioned Qutione Solomon.
After being concerned in a way of life of gang exercise for years and turning his life round, Qutione hopes to assist others do the identical. He’s a part of the Violence Intervention and Prevention program in Fort Worth and has since turn into a “Lead Agent”. Part of his duty is serving as a mentor to newer VIP brokers.
Every time crime occurs within the Stop 6 space, violent or non-violent, it disturbs him. That’s one more reason he’s on the market attempting to change the neighborhood from the within out.
“Is this an unsettling feeling? Because being from where they’re coming from, I kind of understand the headache. It’s just missing a male role model or that strong figure,” mentioned Solomon, “We take care of those everyone don’t desire. The 1% is what I name the actual thugs or no matter you prefer to to say. So yeah, this can be a very fascinating work.”
Qutione, affectionately often called Q within the Stop 6 space, owes surviving the streets to his mentor. Pastor Rodney McIntosh is likely one of the forces behind VIP. He began the program with many objectives in thoughts that embody serving to younger black males survive past the ages of 18 to 21 years outdated, lowering the variety of funerals involving younger individuals and even educating younger folks that they will obtain school. But simply stopping the murder price, non-fatal shootings and aggravated assaults is a measure of success alone for McIntosh.
The Fort Worth pastor doesn’t mince phrases about who helps the program get to these individuals they’re attempting to attain. VIP is a grassroots program that recruits former gang members to assist cut back violent crime, particularly amongst youth headed down the improper highway.
Recently, VIP brokers have been in a position to assist squash a disagreement amongst two teams of younger individuals at odds with one another earlier than it escalated to violence.
VIP brokers additionally work to be seen in a few of the space faculties to function mentors, training cheerleaders and to be a presence, particularly to male college students who could not have function fashions.
McIntosh typically stays a silent voice about what VIP brokers do in the course of the college yr, however their work is impactful and even made a distinction this previous college yr.
“The work that they did to a few of the center faculties, to know that you understand we have been in a position to help in retaining the violence down amongst youth and faculties so the children get a correct training, mentioned Pastor Rodney McIntosh.
The Violence Intervention Program utilized for a city grant for its’ fiscal yr 2023. Fort Worth City Council members are scheduled to vote throughout their Sept. 13, 2022 assembly to award VIP greater than $622 thousand in grant cash. That cash will cowl working prices and assist recruit extra VIP mentors.
McIntosh additionally welcomes group donations for VIP. The grant will assist VIP in 2023, however their objectives to affect crime in Fort Worth go far past the finances.
McIntosh is grateful for the assist from city leaders. He mentioned he hopes to recruit much more assist for individuals involved concerning the future and the protection of neighborhoods exhausting hit by crime
Rodney McIntosh mentioned, “Financial support is always needed.”
McIntosh is all the time recruiting volunteers to be a part of their fight towards crime. In addition to being a pastor, he’s additionally a household man. Somehow, he finds the time to dedicate to the VIP Program whereas additionally taking good care of his household which incorporates daddy and husband duties.
Now that he has a greater grasp on life and has realized to assist steer others in the appropriate path, Solomon mentioned welcomes the assistance too, particularly since they’re getting a critical monetary enhance from city leaders keen to spend money on VIP.
“It’s major, because if the city we were working in isn’t backing or having our backs, then it’s like for nothing, right?” mentioned Qutione Solomon.
The Violence Intervention and Prevention Program is considerably simply now beefing up it’s presence within the city due to hurdles in the course of the pandemic. Solomon can also be working to give VIP an even bigger presence on social media like Facebook.
story by The Texas Tribune Source link
