Having a good idea to make the city safer could net a couple rewards if your idea is picked. The Safe Alliance for Everyone or “SAFE” Taskforce is listening to ideas at its Pitch and Highlight night tomorrow. A safer community and the funds to help achieve it are at hand.
“I think it’s going to be interesting to hear people say I think we can do these three things or these 5 things and ultimately, the result will be a reduction in violence.”
That is Grand Rapids City Commissioner and SAFE Taskforce Chair, Senita Lenear. She says she has big expectations for tomorrow evenings “Pitch Night.” The Safe Alliances for Everyone, or SAFE Taskforce, is hosting “pitch night” on Tuesday. It’s an opportunity for direct community involvement with the goal of reducing violence. But Lenear says they’ve taken the creative approach and are making it fun. Kind of like a “shark tank” presentation.
“Each participant will have 5 minutes to pitch their idea. And there will be 3 winners from organizations who can win up to five thousand dollars and then, individuals can pitch themselves and they can win up to 500 dollars and there will be 3 winners in the individual category as well.”
The ideas must address issues that 15 to 24 year olds in our community face. Lenear says winners will be picked by a panel of judges… adding that it’s critical to address the issues of crime and violence.
“Because, what we’ve learned through the SAFE taskforce is that, to address and reduce violence in the community, it really does take an all hands on deck approach.. So, there has to be different areas, difference facets of work being done in the community to reduce violence. And instead of coming up with those ideas ourselves, we thought why not ask the community for theirs.”
Lenear says the ideas will likely be implemented over time. A working relations will be established between the winners and the City. The event which runs from 6 until 8:30 pm Tuesday, is open to the public and is being held at the Beacon Hill Community House Auditorium on Boston S.E
