$30-Million Grant Targets Violent Crime

Citing violence as the No. 1 killer of youth in the state, a coalition of California foundations announced this week it will grant $30 million to continue funding a program designed to curb violent crime.

Officials of the Warner Center-based California Wellness Foundation said the money will be used to fund its major program, the Violence Prevention Initiative, over the next five years through public education and community-based programs throughout the state.

“Violence is an epidemic that is killing our children in greater numbers,” said Frank Acosta, senior program officer for the Violence Prevention Initiative, which was launched in 1993 with $35 million from the foundation and seven funding partners over an initial five-year period ending in June.

“You hear that the rate of violent crimes is falling, but it continues to be at an unacceptable level,” Acosta said.

Through its policy, community action, leadership and research programs, the initiative has been responsible for the passage of local ordinances in more than 40 cities to ban, restrict or regulate the sale of guns and ammunitions during its first five years, he said.

The goals for the next five years include developing a statewide network of violence prevention advocates and actively seeking collaboration with major foundations, government agencies and other entities to support violence prevention efforts at local, state and national levels, he said.

“It’s to focus on community health, operating on the premise that a healthy community reduces the amount of violence,” Acosta said.

The Wellness Foundation was established in 1992 when the Woodland Hills-based Health Net health maintenance organization converted from a nonprofit to a commercial company. Health Net originally endowed the foundation with $75 million and pledged another $225 million over 15 years.