Updated Dec. 3
An 11-year-old boy was shot and killed Monday morning in his Overbrook home. Tragically, he has company in his heartbreaking fate.
So far in 2019, nearly 100 children have suffered gunshot wounds in Philadelphia. In the last four weeks alone, at least seven kids have been shot. Including this week’s victim in West Philly, five of them died. The other children’s names were Leslie Woodson, Nikolette Rivera, Damaya Alcindor and Maxilla Alcindor.
The too-early fatalities weigh heavily on the entire city. Even government officials and police officers have admitted they’re struggling to cope.
At the Better Gun Violence Reporting summit in Philly last week, people who’ve been impacted firsthand by gun violence requested news organizations share resources when reporting on issues like this — so we put together this list.
We’re publishing the info as a mobile-friendly doc via Google here. It’s also easily accessible at:
billypenn.com/violence-resource-list
We’ll keep the page updated with new resources as we find them. This is available for all to use, and we encourage any media organizations to pull from it as they see fit, whether for print or broadcast.
Have a resource you think we should add? Let us know.
Philly Gun Violence Resource List
To discuss or report a violent crime
Philadelphia Mobile Emergency Team: (215) 685-6440
West/Southwest Victim Services Program: (215) 748-7780
Center City Crime Victim Services: 215-665-9680
Northeast Victim Services: (215) 332-3888
Northwest Victim Services: (215) 438-4410
Victim Services of South Philadelphia: (215) 551-3360
East Division Crime Victim Services (Concilio and Congreso): (215) 426-4810
For survivors and their loved ones
Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia (AVP): (215) 567-6776
Philadelphia County Victim Services: (215) 686-8027
Philadelphia County Juvenile Victim Services: 215-686-7682
Healing Hurt People: (215) 762-1177
Philly’s Office of Violence Prevention: (215) 686-0789
Network of Neighbors Responding to Violence: (267) 233-4387
The federal Victims of Crime Act mandates that certain services are available to people who’ve personally suffered a violent crime, or those who have lost a loved one that way. There are victims services organizations all over the city that can help distribute these resources — from counseling services to legal help to reimbursement of funeral costs.
A Drexel violence intervention program, Healing Hurt People offers free case management support for people who’ve experienced a traumatic event — including resources like health care, housing, food and advocacy at school. There’s also a mobile therapy program and peer support for fellow young adults who survived violence.
After a violent crime, the city’s Office of Violence Prevention deploys community crisis intervention teams, who help neighbors and assist police in their investigation. The OVP also doles out grants to community anti-violence programs.
The Network of Neighbors Responding to Violence is a network of community members trained to support-and lead-responses to stress, trauma, loss, and violence within their own communities.
For families
AVP’s hotline for families of murder victims: (215) 686-8033
Mothers in Charge: (215) 228-1718
EMIR Healing Center in East Germantown: (215) 848-4068
Operation Save Our City: (856) 745-6045
Mothers in Charge is a national organization founded in Philadelphia by Dorothy Johnson-Speight, who lost her son to gun violence. This group of impassioned mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and loved ones can help you take steps to cope with tragedy.
EMIR Healing Center was founded by a grieving parent to provide support after community trauma. After a violent crime, members will visit a block, school or individual person to offer healing services. You can also reach out for domestic violence resources. Get in touch here.
Based in Fairhill, Operation Save Our City supports to the families of victims of violent crime. Founder Rosalind Pichardo helps arrange public demonstrations and vigils to generate attention for cold cases.
For kids
Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout (YEAH): (267) 469-3002
Urban Youth Leadership Academy: (215) 204-8917
Uplift Center for Grieving Children: (267) 437-3123
YEAH offers after-school programming in West Philly, including targeted instruction to help kids learn peer mediation and conflict resolution skills. There’s also a free food bank.
Run by Juwan Bennett and headquartered at Temple University, the Urban Youth Leadership Academy matches middle school students with college-aged and early-career mentors who help them complete a service project.
The Uplift Center for Grieving Children offers in-school grief support groups — plus services for children and their caregivers at six locations in the city: East Falls, West Philly, South Philly, the lower Northeast, Center City and North Philly (Lenfest Center).
For resources around suicide
Philadelphia Suicide and Crisis Center: (215) 686-4420
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
My Brother’s Keeper (MBK Cares): (267) 580-9440
Donovan Williams Memorial Foundation: (215) 834-9339
The Philadelphia Suicide Prevention Task Force: philadelphiasptf@phila.gov
MBK Cares runs regular community events out of Cobbs Creek recreation center. They’ll welcome you into an existing network of support, helping you find counseling and cope with hardships like bullying.
The Donovan Williams Memorial Foundation is the place to go if you’d like to find a supportive community rooted in sports. The runs a basketball league to promote sportsmanship, foster social skills and educate youth on suicide prevention.
The city’s Suicide Prevention Task Force operates five regular support groups all over the city for people who have lost a loved one to suicide.
For resources around domestic/intimate partner violence
Philadelphia Domestic Violence Hotline: (866) 723-3014
Lutheran Settlement House: (215) 426-8610
Congreso: (215) 763-8870
Women Against Abuse: (215) 386-1280
Fishtown’s Lutheran Settlement House is designed to support survivors of domestic violence in any way they might need — with counseling services and programs for seniors, caregivers and people experiencing homelessness.
Congreso offers bilingual education and services for people who are dealing with domestic violence. The goal: to increase awareness and prevent domestic violence, and to connect survivors to resources.
Women Against Abuse boasts tons of wraparound services, from counseling to housing to legal help and programs for LGBTQ people experiencing intimate partner violence.
More counseling services
The Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia: (215) 567-6776
This group offers many services. There’s a counseling center, plus resources for kids, victims of intra-family homicide, and people whose family members have been murdered.
Cost is often a roadblock to folks obtaining mental health services. Luckily, Philly offers a ton of free or affordable options. Check this list for various options.
