May 8, 2026 − Philadelphia, PA– Senator Vincent Hughes in partnership with Senator Art Haywood convened Philadelphia area lawmakers and community leaders to announce new state grants that have been awarded to Philadelphia organizations and projects aimed at stopping violence in local communities and supporting victims.
Over $23 million in state grants for grassroot, community anti-violence groups and after-school programs in Philadelphia was awarded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) School Safety and Security Committee from Violence Intervention & Prevention (VIP) and Building Opportunities Through Out-of-Schol Time (BOOST) funds.
At the press conference, Senator Hughes said, “This money stops the violence in our communities by investing in our communities. We have believed for years that by investing in neighborhood based organizations, people who are on the front line who know how to address violence in their neighborhoods, we could make our communities safer. Data shows that these investments are working.”
In 2025, the homicide rate in Philadelphia dropped to the lowest level in 60 years. As of May 2026, homicides in Philadelphia are down 38% and firearm possessions are down 13%.
The press conference was held at Northwest Victim Services, in Senator Art Haywood’s district.
“We believe that love is strategy for change,” said Senator Haywood. “We know that all these neighborhood organizations bring love to individuals. I will be bringing that love back to the General Assembly and using it to fight for more VIP and BOOST funding.”
In total, over $65 million in VIP and BOOST grants were awarded to organizations and programs across the Commonwealth. 177 applications were approved and 465 eligible applications were received.
Governor Shapiro proposed $68.36 million for anti-violence programs in the FY26-27 budget. On April 14, 2026, the PA House of Representatives passed the Governor’s proposed budget.
Senator Hughes led the creation of the VIP program in 2018 in response to the need for action in the wake of Parkland and other school shootings. The idea was to take a comprehensive approach to stopping gun violence and invest in organizations that were actively working to prevent gun violence at the community level.
The VIP and BOOST programs have awarded $331.15 million in grants since 2018.
In addition to Senators Hughes and Haywood, the following individuals spoke at the press conference: Senator Anthony Williams; Representative Jordan Harris; Representative Andre Carroll; Mazzie Casher, Co-founder, Philly Truce; Melany Nelson, Executive Director, Northwest Victim Services; Radee Hammett, CEO and Founder of The Reawakening Agency; Terrilynn Donnell, Executive Director, Community of Compassion; Angela Wade, community member and mother of a victim of gun violence.
A full video of the press conference is available online.