Nearly a dozen nonprofits in D.C. have been awarded new funding totaling $1.5 million under the “Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Violence Prevention Grant Program,” D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced Wednesday.
Life Pieces to Masterpieces, a mentoring program that supports Black and Brown boys and young men from Wards 7 and 8, was one of the 11 programs chosen, out of over 200 applicants, according to a release from the attorney general’s office.
Andrew Blickle, the director of the mentoring program, told WTOP that the organization solely depends on “philanthropic and government grants” to do their work and is incredibly grateful to receive a grant from this office specifically.
“It’s really vital to us. This OAG funding specifically is especially important, not only because it’s a larger grant than we were expecting, we’re really thrilled to have that,” Blickle said.
“We really support everything that this attorney general is doing and everything that he says about the importance of recognizing … you can’t prosecute your way out of crime.”
Life Pieces to Masterpieces provides after-school and summer programs.
Blickle said he believes creating a safe space for young boys in D.C. is incredibly important work.
“That’s going to create a city that is happier, more hopeful, more peaceful,” Blickle said.
“And ultimately, that’s the work that we do at Life Pieces and so that recognition from the Attorney General means so much to us.”
David Adams, a mentor at Life Pieces to Masterpieces and junior at Delaware State University, also attested to the work that the nonprofit does.
“I started the program, when I was in about second or third grade … and I’ve been a part of it ever since. I’ve never left,” Adams said.
“Life Pieces just surrounded me with people who had my best interests in mind. You know, having all the mentors, the positive male role models, as well as positive woman figures.”
Adams agreed that the funding from the office of the attorney general will “means a lot because it really does help the community, it helps the youth, you know, it’s literally saving lives.”
Schwalb recognized in his release that “proactive interventions” from the awarded D.C. programs make an impact in the District.
“The Office of the Attorney General recognizes the critical role local organizations play in helping ensure that young people have the tools and skills necessary for long-term success, and with these grants, we are continuing to put our money where our mouth is,” Schwalb said.
“Prevention work, along with policing and prosecution, is a critical component of any comprehensive public safety strategy that will help keep the District safe now and in the future.”
Blickle added that the largest impact of the program is made by children and young men after they’ve attended Life Pieces to Masterpieces.
“The largest impact that happens at Life Pieces isn’t the impact that we have on our boys and young men, but it’s the impact that they then have on their communities as a whole,” Blickle said.
He points to Adams as a perfect example of that work, as he has helped create a mentoring organization called Brothers in Power at Delaware State that focuses on supporting first-generation college students and young people that aspire to be the first in their family to attend college.
“Really going out and passing that on, and giving back everything that he received from the program is something that’s so special,” Blickle added.
“It’s an important part of our mission, and it’s an important part of the impact that we can have.”
WTOP’s Cheyenne Corin contributed to this reporting.
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