Latest news with #ThinkOutsideDaBlock
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First Post
29-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Trump's deep cuts threaten efforts to combat gun violence even as US battles mass shootings
The Trump administration has abruptly terminated over half of all federal funding for gun violence prevention, cutting $158 million in grants to community programs across major US cities. read more A bus belonging to the Think Outside Da Block gun violence prevention program sits parked outside of the organization's office, in Chicago, Illinois, US. Reuters The Trump administration has cancelled more than half of all federal funding for gun violence prevention programs in the United States, including $158 million in grants to nonprofits in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Baltimore. According to official data analysed by Reuters, 69 of the 145 community violence intervention (CVI) contracts totalling more than $300 million given by the US Department of Justice were abruptly discontinued in April. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The elimination of CVI programs is part of a broader rollback at the department's grant-issuing Office of Justice Programs, which terminated 365 grants valued at $811 million in April, impacting a range of public safety and victim services programs. A DOJ official told Reuters the gun violence grants were eliminated because they 'no longer effectuate the program's goals or agency's priorities.' Thousands of Office of Justice Programs grants are under review, the official said, and are being evaluated, among other things, on how well they support law enforcement and combat violent crime. The majority of CVI grants were originally funded through the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and part of a push by former President Joe Biden to stem the rise of gun violence in America, including establishing the first White House Office for Gun Violence Prevention. That office was 'dismantled on day one' of Trump taking office, said former deputy director of the office, Greg Jackson. Prior to the Biden-era funding, most gun violence prevention programs were funded on the state level. 'These programs five years ago, if they did exist, had very small budgets and didn't have large, multimillion-dollar federal investments,' said Michael-Sean Spence, managing director of community safety initiatives at Everytown for Gun Safety, which has worked with 136 community-based violence intervention organizations since 2019. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Twenty-five of the groups were impacted by funding cuts. The grants supported a wide range of CVI programming to prevent shootings such as training outreach teams to de-escalate and mediate conflict, social workers to connect people to services and employment, and hospital-based programs for gun violence victims. '[It's] preventing them from doing the work in service of those that need it the most at the most urgent, and deadliest time of the year,' Spence said, referring to summer months when there's typically an uptick in shootings. Gun violence deaths in the US grew more than 50% from 2015 to the pandemic-era peak of 21,383 in 2021, according to the Gun Violence Archive., opens new tab Since then, deadly shootings have been in decline, falling to 16,725 in 2024, which is more in line with the pre-pandemic trend. As of May 2025, deaths are down 866 from the same period last year. Defunded programs While cities like New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles received the bulk of gun violence prevention funding, southern cities like Memphis, Selma, Alabama and Baton Rouge, Louisiana also received millions and were more reliant on the grants due to limited state support for the programs, experts told Reuters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Very few state legislatures are passing funding right now, that's why the federal cuts were such a tragic hit,' said Amber Goodwin, co-founder of Community Violence Legal Network, who's part of a coalition of lawyers working to get grants reinstated. Nearly a dozen interviews with legal experts, gun violence interventionists, and former DOJ officials said funding cuts threaten the long-term sustainability of community violence intervention initiatives that have taken years to establish and are embedded in predominantly Black and Latino communities. Pha'Tal Perkins founded Think Outside Da Block in 2016, a nonprofit based in Chicago's violence-plagued Englewood neighborhood. Federal funding allowed him to hire full-time staff, but when grants were stripped, he was forced to lay off five team members. 'Being able to have outreach teams at specific places at the right time to have conversations before things get out of hand is what people don't see,' Perkins said. The programs initiated in 2022 marked the first time grassroots organizations could apply for federal community violence prevention funding directly, without going through law enforcement or state intermediaries, according to three former DOJ officials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Aqeela Sherrills, co-founder of Community Based Public Safety Collective in Los Angeles, provided training on implementing violence intervention strategies to nearly 94 grantees, including states, law enforcement agencies, and community-based organizations. Prior to the cuts, 'we were onboarding 30 new grantees through the federal government. Many of these cities and law enforcement agencies have no idea how to implement CVI,' Sherrills said. Police support Some critics of CVI argue that the programs aren't effective and that federal dollars would be better spent on law enforcement to stymie gun violence. Others view the initiatives as inherently 'anti-gun' and are 'nothing more than a funnel to send federal tax dollars to anti-gun non-profits who advocate against our rights,' said Aidan Johnston, federal affairs director of the Gun Owners of America. That view is not universally shared by law enforcement, however. In June, a letter signed by 18 law enforcement groups and police chiefs in Louisville, Minneapolis, Tucson and Omaha called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to reinstate funding that has resulted in 'measurable and significant reductions in violence and homicides.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'These aren't feel-good programs; they're lifesaving, law-enforcement-enhancing strategies that work,' they wrote. Columbia, South Carolina Deputy Police Chief Melron Kelly, who was unaware of the letter, told Reuters that CVI programs were relatively new in the city, but as a result, the police began collaborating more with community organizations. Kelly said Columbia's CVI programs focused on preventing retaliatory shootings that can escalate a neighborhood conflict. 'Public safety really starts in the neighborhood before police get involved. CVI work is very important; we've seen a drastic reduction in violent crime post-COVID and shootings are almost at a 10-year low,' Kelly said. Now, organizations are trying to figure out how to keep the doors open now that federal money has run dry. Durell Cowan, executive director of HEAL 901, a community violence prevention nonprofit in Memphis, received a $1.7 million CVI grant in October 2024. Cowan's organization received $150,000 in federal funds since the beginning of the year before his grant was canceled. He's had to dip into his personal savings to keep his 14-person staff on payroll, he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Recently, he secured funding from an out-of-state nonprofit as well as a $125,000 emergency grant from the city. Still, he may be forced to conduct layoffs if federal government dollars don't start flowing again. 'We shouldn't be pulling from our own personal finances and life insurance policies to cover the cost of public safety,' he said.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Federal funding cuts force Englewood nonprofit to lay off outreach workers
The Brief Federal funding cuts led to the cancellation of a grant for Think Outside Da Block, an Englewood nonprofit focused on violence prevention and community outreach. The organization laid off more than half its outreach team, raising concerns about increased summer violence without their presence. Community members can support by volunteering, donating, or attending events — including a karaoke fundraiser this Friday at 6 p.m. near Ashland and Marquette. CHICAGO - A nonprofit in Englewood dedicated to building peaceful communities is feeling the effects of federal budget cuts. What we know As federal program cuts continue to take a toll on organizations nationwide, one Englewood nonprofit—dedicated to building peaceful communities—is being forced to make tough changes. The organization's loss of critical government support reflects a broader shift in priorities at the Department of Justice (DOJ). Think Outside Da Block is a nonprofit based on the city's South Side that focuses on youth development, violence interruption, and outreach. It is a member organization in a coalition of nonprofits notified last month that one of its grants was being terminated by the DOJ. Recently, founder Pha'Tal Perkins had no choice but to make difficult decisions that could dismantle years of community progress. He's had to lay off five of eight outreach staffers due to reduced federal support. "It's devastating to our community as some of these individuals are extremely influential and respected in our community and have been able to mediate conflicts and deter violence on the front end," Perkins said. Metropolitan Peace Initiatives (MPI), which secured the grant funding, received the notification letter from the Department of Justice on April 22, 2025. In total, $3.7 million has been revoked from three nonprofits in its coalition — including Think Outside Da Block. MPI Executive Director Vaughn Bryant is fighting the decision and has already submitted a formal appeal. Bryant issued the following statement to FOX 32 Chicago on Wednesday: "Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, a division of Metropolitan Family Services, serves those at highest risk of becoming shooting victims or perpetrators of violence themselves. Any life lost to gun violence is one too many. When the DOJ cut $3.7 million of funding to three nonprofits in our coalition, that had an immediate effect on communities like Englewood, West Englewood, and Woodlawn. With a 50 percent reduction in homicides and a 38 percent reduction in shooting victimizations from 2021 to 2025, we know that Community Violence Intervention (CVI) works. We, along with our partners at CPD, are saving lives. Having buy-in and collaboration on the federal level is vital to supporting CVI programming across Chicago. We've appealed the DOJ decision and are hopeful we can come to a swift resolution." Think Outside Da Block was founded in 2016 by Pha'Tal Perkins, who was born, raised, and still lives in Englewood. "Just after taking a wrong path, realizing I wanted better for myself, I wanted better for my community," Perkins said of his inspiration for the organization. With or without that funding, Perkins said his work will continue—showing community members that there is a future beyond their own block. "We all want to go through this summer peacefully, it's going to take all of us to work together," Perkins said. What you can do You can help by volunteering, donating, or attending one of the organization's events. This Friday, May 30, Think Outside Da Block is hosting a karaoke event at 6 p.m. near Ashland Avenue and Marquette Road. On Wednesday, June 4 from 5 to 7 p.m., the organization is teaming up with Chicago's SAFE Ambassadors to hold bike-riding lesson in advance of its upcoming 'Roll N Peace' community bike ride. The Roll N Peace ride, which is held annually, will take place on Friday, June 13 starting at 4 p.m. in Ogden Park (6500 South Racine Avenue). The 'roll off' is planned for 8 p.m. and interested participants can text "ROLLNPEACE" to 708-438-7300 to learn more.
Chicago Tribune
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: Johnson proposal would put requirements on new industrial developments
Good morning, Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson will push forward this spring an ordinance designed to reform land-use policies that environmentalists say for decades led to pollution in Black and Latino communities. Some advocates for heavy industry are worried. None deny minority neighborhoods on the South and West sides suffer more from the dirty air, water and soil that historically came from steel mills, smokestacks and truck traffic. But they say if Johnson's proposal puts more obstacles in the way of new industrial businesses getting started, it could squelch much-needed job creation. 'We need to make sure we're not disincentivizing industry, because these jobs are needed throughout the city,' said Jonathan Snyder, executive director of North Branch Works, a nonprofit advocate for economic development along the North Branch of the Chicago River. 'If we send a signal that coming here is an expensive, complicated process, we will not be successful in attracting business.' Read the full story from the Tribune's Brian J. Rogal. Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History For a city with hundreds of shootings each year, the work that Pha'Tal Perkins does with kids in Chicago is quiet but significant. His team of workers does round-the-clock work to tackle the root causes of community violence, leading peer-to-peer support and group therapy sessions. They help kids apply for college and jobs, and host programming for kids. They are often the first to crime scenes, even before police. In late April, due to the end of a federal grant that supported many of those efforts, Perkins had to lay off five of the outreach staff at his violence intervention nonprofit, Think Outside Da Block. David Vojvodich served two tours in Vietnam, and on Memorial Day, he remembers those who didn't come back. Vojvodich, a 76-year-old lifelong resident of the Canaryville neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, prefers not to talk about his service during the two-decade-long conflict. But the holiday is sacred for him, and a time to reflect. State legislators who are also lawyers in Illinois are getting a new perk, courtesy of the state Supreme Court. They just need to show up for work in the Illinois General Assembly and they'll be able to collect credit toward satisfying continuing education classes required to keep their law licenses in good standing. Jordan Musenbrock, 35, said Medicaid helped pay for her manual wheelchair and its repairs, shower chair, catheters and several medications. Musenbrock, who has used a wheelchair since she was 17 following a car accident, said without Medicaid she will have to choose between a drastic decline in health, even death, or financial hardship. Sixty-five miles southwest of Chicago, a small hill that looks like a prop from an Indiana Jones movie breaks up the flat, monotone landscape. Consisting of shale, sandstone and rocks from an old coal mine, the waste pile — located on a massive river delta from another era — is an unremarkable remnant from the region's once-thriving coal industry. Except it contains many of the world's best-preserved, most diverse fossils. Egypt unveiled three new tombs of prominent statesmen in the Dra' Abu al-Naga' necropolis in Luxor, officials said Monday. Egyptian archaeologists have discovered tombs dating back to the New Kingdom period (1550–1070 B.C.) and identified the names and titles of their owners through inscriptions found within, according to a statement by the tourism and antiquities ministry. Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard didn't bother mincing words. 'Just to be honest, this organization over the last 10 years or whatever, it's been a losing culture,' Byard said. 'We haven't really won a lot, so you have to drastically come in and try to rearrange everything.' The Chicago Cubs met the newest 'worst team in baseball history' yesterday at Wrigley Field, writes Paul Sullivan. And not surprisingly, it turned out to be a good day to play the Colorado Rockies. Despite managing only four hits, the Cubs beat the Rockies 3-1 before a Memorial Day crowd of 40,171, riding the arm of starter Jameson Taillon and the bullpen on an unseasonably cool but sunny afternoon. The singer Elaine Dame has had an interesting life, so far. She told Rick Kogan about the latest chapter earlier this month. It was a few days before her performance at Winter's Jazz Club and she said, 'There will be songs that I have performed for years, but also a great deal of material from my new CD. It's called 'Reminiscing' and, well, it's something different.' If Ebenezer Scrooge found himself isolated in a post-apocalyptic setting, with no one but his elderly parents and his long-suffering servant to haunt his monotonous days, he would probably behave like Hamm, the petty tyrant of a sad little domain in Samuel Beckett's 1957 play, 'Endgame.' In Facility Theatre's new revival of the Irish playwright's absurdist tragicomedy, the blind and paralyzed character (played by artistic director Kirk Anderson) looks like a slightly steampunk Scrooge, writes Emily McClanathan. He wears a silk dressing gown, old-fashioned nightcap and round, black sunglasses as he holds court from a shabby upholstered armchair.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
After years on the front lines of violence prevention, Englewood group faces layoffs as DOJ shifts priorities
For a city with hundreds of shootings each year, the work that Pha'Tal Perkins does with kids in Chicago is quiet but significant. Perkins, 41, remembers that after a bullet went through a window and into the neck of an 11-year-old girl last year in the West Englewood neighborhood, for example, he spent long hours bringing food and making sure her mother and 16-year-old brother felt safe leaving the house. He talked through her treatment with them as she recovered, and as the girl's brother had been out of school, he helped him re-enroll. Perkins coaches his team of outreach workers to take similar approaches with other families in crisis. '(We) once (were) a part of that street lifestyle,' he said. 'But because (we) show them love and care, they respond with respect.' His team of workers does round-the-clock work to tackle the root causes of community violence, leading peer-to-peer support and group therapy sessions. They help kids apply for college and jobs, and host programming for kids. They are often the first to crime scenes, even before police. In late April, due to the end of a federal grant that supported many of those efforts, Perkins had to lay off five of the outreach staff at his violence intervention nonprofit, Think Outside Da Block. His organization isn't the only one that received cuts, and he said there will be half the number of people this summer out in the community mediating conflicts. Gutting that infrastructure could have a ripple effect, Perkins said, as Chicago law enforcement relies on groups like his to keep the city safer. The impact, according to Perkins, could mean fewer conflicts resolved and more shootings. On April 22, Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, a nonprofit organization in Chicago that supports Perkins' nonprofit along with several others, received an email from the U.S. Department of Justice that one of its federal grants was canceled. In step with several strategies that President Donald Trump has used to cut or defund programs and grants that don't align with the administration's political values, the award was cut because it 'no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities,' the email stated. The total money comes out to about $3.7 million for the next three fiscal years, according to Vaughn Bryant, the executive director of MPI. Three organizations like Perkins' received cuts that took effect right away, he said. Bryant said MPI viewed those grants as a way to put money into the community and let people like Perkins build from there. 'Continuity of services matters,' he said. 'You're retraumatizing people.' Growing up in the Englewood neighborhood, Perkins said a pair of Nike Jordans was unheard of because his working mom only had enough to make sure the lights were on and the mortgage paid. 'My peers made me feel like what I had wasn't enough,' he said. 'In an environment where people make fun of you and you might not be invited to certain things, or you can't sit at this table, you feel left out.' Desperation drove him into yearslong cycles of stealing and crime, he said. Those decisions swallowed him up, he said, until his daughter Patience was born eight years ago. He was at the hospital and had to leave for court, he said. It shifted his thinking. 'There's only two ways out of this — dead or jail,' he remembers thinking at the time. 'This ain't it.' Relying on his relationships with community members, he carefully built Think Outside Da Block from the ground up. He's known many of the people he works with for his whole life. They, like him, know what triggers kids and how to calm them down. 'It's the things that you don't see. The things that you can't measure,' he said. On April 24, Perkins was in his office getting ready to celebrate what he calls 'Pha Day,' or the anniversary of the city's official recognition of his nonprofit. He and his team were planning several events, including providing snacks, T-shirts and games to students at Simeon Career Academy in the Chatham neighborhood during lunch. 'Everybody is in celebration mode, and then I get this news that I have to lay off more than half of my outreach team,' he said. He was worried about what it might mean for the homicide rate, which was going down in his community, partially, he said, due to violence intervention. There were 45 fewer people killed in total homicides last year when compared with 2023, and the West Englewood neighborhood had 15 fewer shootings, according to Tribune data. Chicago violence is concentrated in the summer. If there is an uptick, Perkins is concerned that families could now be left without assistance for funeral planning or grief counseling. But immediately, he had to break the news to his team members, who would now be left to figure out their lives and find ways to pay their bills. Many of the outreach workers are formerly incarcerated or have had trouble finding sustainable employment. 'Does this mean that if it gets too hard, they might go back to living the street lifestyle, or go back to what they knew previously?' he asked. Perkins waited days before telling his team, which he said was 'one of the hardest things he's had to do.' Violence intervention is a calling for the members of Perkins' team, said Jordan Little, 35, who joined the nonprofit about a year ago but found out late last month that he was being laid off. Little said he started doing the work four years ago after he was caught in the crossfire of a shooting in the Pullman neighborhood. He ran to a gas station and was brought to the hospital, where he stayed for a week. It took him over a month to rehabilitate. It's experiences like those that he said make him better at responding in crisis situations. But for the moment, instead of engaging in the work he loves most, he's selling life insurance and looking for something more stable. 'The cuts will just bring more scarcity, and people may start to turn on each other,' Little said. With a shell of its staff remaining, the remaining outreach workers at Think Outside Da Block are moving forward. They're hosting workshops for teens who have been in and out of jail and planning nighttime events to keep kids engaged. LaMarcus Brock, a case manager who works with Perkins, said that at a difficult time for the organization, he is focusing on the work. He's looking forward to prom season and graduations with his students. 'They need us,' he said. On a recent afternoon in the Ogden Park field house in Englewood, Perkins led a group of volunteers around the park to plan for their upcoming 'Roll N Peace' event in mid-June, where they give out 100 bikes and encourage people to ride at night. It works, said Unoka Obanner, a case manager with Think Outside Da Block. She is a single mother of four boys, and said her kids go to all of the events that Perkins holds in the community. Her boys also came out for Perkins' Unity Day event to help clean up Englewood. 'Pha'Tal helps make it peaceful,' she said. 'He steps up in every type of way.' Obanner said she is close friends with several of the staffers who were let go. She saw how hard it was for Perkins to break the news to them. 'Many of those people have families. They have responsibilities. This is something they were relying on,' she said. But mostly, she's worried about the effect it will have on summer rates of violence. 'I'm afraid,' she said. At a recent youth workshop at Perkins' headquarters on South Ashland Avenue, Rachel Watters, the organization's project manager, asked a group of four kids to speak to several others about what they needed from the organization. They, too, highlighted the lack of resources in their neighborhoods, echoing Perkins' concerns. 'Grants,' said Jaquan Moore, 18. 'We need financial stability.' Watters also asked them what the programming meant to them. 'It's that backbone and support you need,' said Sanaa Battle, 18. 'Like a family that you never had.'
Chicago Tribune
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
After years on the front lines of violence prevention, Englewood group faces layoffs as DOJ shifts priorities
For a city with hundreds of shootings each year, the work that Pha'Tal Perkins does with kids in Chicago is quiet but significant. Perkins, 41, remembers that after a bullet went through a window and into the neck of an 11-year-old girl last year in the West Englewood neighborhood, for example, he spent long hours bringing food and making sure her mother and 16-year-old brother felt safe leaving the house. He talked through her treatment with them as she recovered, and as the girl's brother had been out of school, he helped him re-enroll. Perkins coaches his team of outreach workers to take similar approaches with other families in crisis. '(We) once (were) a part of that street lifestyle,' he said. 'But because (we) show them love and care, they respond with respect.' His team of workers does round-the-clock work to tackle the root causes of community violence, leading peer-to-peer support and group therapy sessions. They help kids apply for college and jobs, and host programming for kids. They are often the first to crime scenes, even before police. In late April, due to the end of a federal grant that supported many of those efforts, Perkins had to lay off five of the outreach staff at his violence intervention nonprofit, Think Outside Da Block. His organization isn't the only one that received cuts, and he said there will be half the number of people this summer out in the community mediating conflicts. Gutting that infrastructure could have a ripple effect, Perkins said, as Chicago law enforcement relies on groups like his to keep the city safer. The impact, according to Perkins, could mean fewer conflicts resolved and more shootings. On April 22, Metropolitan Peace Initiatives, a nonprofit organization in Chicago that supports Perkins' nonprofit along with several others, received an email from the U.S. Department of Justice that one of its federal grants was canceled. In step with several strategies that President Donald Trump has used to cut or defund programs and grants that don't align with the administration's political values, the award was cut because it 'no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities,' the email stated. The total money comes out to about $3.7 million for the next three fiscal years, according to Vaughn Bryant, the executive director of MPI. Three organizations like Perkins' received cuts that took effect right away, he said. Bryant said MPI viewed those grants as a way to put money into the community and let people like Perkins build from there. 'Continuity of services matters,' he said. 'You're retraumatizing people.' Growing up in the Englewood neighborhood, Perkins said a pair of Nike Jordans was unheard of because his working mom only had enough to make sure the lights were on and the mortgage paid. 'My peers made me feel like what I had wasn't enough,' he said. 'In an environment where people make fun of you and you might not be invited to certain things, or you can't sit at this table, you feel left out.' Desperation drove him into yearslong cycles of stealing and crime, he said. Those decisions swallowed him up, he said, until his daughter Patience was born eight years ago. He was at the hospital and had to leave for court, he said. It shifted his thinking. 'There's only two ways out of this — dead or jail,' he remembers thinking at the time. 'This ain't it.' Relying on his relationships with community members, he carefully built Think Outside Da Block from the ground up. He's known many of the people he works with for his whole life. They, like him, know what triggers kids and how to calm them down. 'It's the things that you don't see. The things that you can't measure,' he said. On April 24, Perkins was in his office getting ready to celebrate what he calls 'Pha Day,' or the anniversary of the city's official recognition of his nonprofit. He and his team were planning several events, including providing snacks, T-shirts and games to students at Simeon Career Academy in the Chatham neighborhood during lunch. 'Everybody is in celebration mode, and then I get this news that I have to lay off more than half of my outreach team,' he said. He was worried about what it might mean for the homicide rate, which was going down in his community, partially, he said, due to violence intervention. There were 45 fewer people killed in total homicides last year when compared with 2023, and the West Englewood neighborhood had 15 fewer shootings, according to Tribune data. Chicago violence is concentrated in the summer. If there is an uptick, Perkins is concerned that families could now be left without assistance for funeral planning or grief counseling. But immediately, he had to break the news to his team members, who would now be left to figure out their lives and find ways to pay their bills. Many of the outreach workers are formerly incarcerated or have had trouble finding sustainable employment. 'Does this mean that if it gets too hard, they might go back to living the street lifestyle, or go back to what they knew previously?' he asked. Perkins waited days before telling his team, which he said was 'one of the hardest things he's had to do.' Violence intervention is a calling for the members of Perkins' team, said Jordan Little, 35, who joined the nonprofit about a year ago but found out late last month that he was being laid off. Little said he started doing the work four years ago after he was caught in the crossfire of a shooting in the Pullman neighborhood. He ran to a gas station and was brought to the hospital, where he stayed for a week. It took him over a month to rehabilitate. It's experiences like those that he said make him better at responding in crisis situations. But for the moment, instead of engaging in the work he loves most, he's selling life insurance and looking for something more stable. 'The cuts will just bring more scarcity, and people may start to turn on each other,' Little said. With a shell of its staff remaining, the remaining outreach workers at Think Outside Da Block are moving forward. They're hosting workshops for teens who have been in and out of jail and planning nighttime events to keep kids engaged. LaMarcus Brock, a case manager who works with Perkins, said that at a difficult time for the organization, he is focusing on the work. He's looking forward to prom season and graduations with his students. 'They need us,' he said. On a recent afternoon in the Ogden Park field house in Englewood, Perkins led a group of volunteers around the park to plan for their upcoming 'Roll N Peace' event in mid-June, where they give out 100 bikes and encourage people to ride at night. It works, said Unoka Obanner, a case manager with Think Outside Da Block. She is a single mother of four boys, and said her kids go to all of the events that Perkins holds in the community. Her boys also came out for Perkins' Unity Day event to help clean up Englewood. 'Pha'Tal helps make it peaceful,' she said. 'He steps up in every type of way.' Obanner said she is close friends with several of the staffers who were let go. She saw how hard it was for Perkins to break the news to them. 'Many of those people have families. They have responsibilities. This is something they were relying on,' she said. But mostly, she's worried about the effect it will have on summer rates of violence. 'I'm afraid,' she said. At a recent youth workshop at Perkins' headquarters on South Ashland Avenue, Rachel Watters, the organization's project manager, asked a group of four kids to speak to several others about what they needed from the organization. They, too, highlighted the lack of resources in their neighborhoods, echoing Perkins' concerns. 'Grants,' said Jaquan Moore, 18. 'We need financial stability.' Watters also asked them what the programming meant to them. 'It's that backbone and support you need,' said Sanaa Battle, 18. 'Like a family that you never had.'
