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Communities in Action for Peace CAP's Motto is Put a Cap on Violence University of Pittsburgh 158 Trees Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15261 Phone: 412-648-1776; FAX: 412-648-7198 HISTORY Communities in Action for Peace (CAP) was organized in 1994 as a response to the escalating violence in Allegheny County.  The 25th anniversary of the Allegheny County Mental Health/Mental Retardation/Drug and Alcohol/Hunger and Homeless (now called the Allegheny County Department of Human Services) was celebrated through twelve major education awareness events in 1994.  One workshop, Violence:  The Disease of the 90's produced a group committed to continuing the examination of violence and disaster in the community.  This event became the first step in organizing a system wide response to needed forum for non-traditional involvement around acts of violence in our communities.  Out of that need, an initiative began where members and groups could provide assistance to one another. In the early years of CAP Allegheny County provided a Community Organizer assigned as the group’s liaison. In 2000 CAP was awarded the placement of an Americorps VISTA Community Organizer and in July, 2004 this Organizer became a member of the MAPS Program at the University of Pittsburgh. All other CAP members are volunteers from the 27 member CAP agencies and organizations throughout Allegheny County. CAP members make a commitment of participation in monthly meetings, CAP-related activities, and membership on one of CAP's standing committees.  These include Communications, Community Empowerment/Violence Prevention CISM, Fundraising, Membership, Sign for Peace, and Youth Activities.  CAP's achievements have been possible as a result of over 3,000 hours per year of volunteered professional staff time.  CAP is comprised of agency staff of all levels; top line administrators work alongside front line staff with no differentiation in decision making power or responsibilities. Communities in Action for Peace (CAP) has focused on five primary areas: ● Mini Grants for Grassroots Community Groups One of our biggest undertakings has been that of granting small amounts of money to grassroots community groups for activities in the community as alternatives to violence.  In 1996 we received a small Violence Prevention Grant from Highmark/Blue Cross/Blue Shield which we in turn used to give mini grants for selected community projects.  Since 1996, we have awarded 42 mini grants throughout Allegheny County.  Highmark supported this effort for an additional two years with lesser amounts of money. We also received a small donation from Wexford Health Care.  Other operation costs have been absorbed by the larger agencies that are members in CAP.  The mini grants helped to provide positive activities for the youth and families of communities across Allegheny County, acting as a deterrent to at-risk activities that would reduce violence.  For several of these organizations, our small grant acted as the catalyst to more secure funding.  Communities learned that they could accomplish a lot with little and gained the confidence to submit larger grant proposals. In the past, we have sent out a R.F.P. to small community organizations. A committee then selected the projects that would receive help.  Since we were mainly interested in attracting small grassroots groups who could not apply for funding from larger groups, we did not require 501C3's and proposals could be handwritten as long as they were legible.  However, we did require a strict accounting of expenditures through submission of receipts.  Each grantee was assigned a CAP member as a partner to assist them wherever necessary.  Often, we were able to leverage additional technical assistance and supplies through our membership.  Each year in December, we hold a Celebration of Peace Dinner where the grantees celebrated and discussed the outcomes of their projects with the CAP membership. ● Sign for Peace Project Another significant activity of CAP is the "Sign for Peace" Project. This activity is a simple one, which involves several of our members participating in Community Fairs, Health Fairs, School Open Houses or other gatherings in the community.  We set up a table with a sheet where people sign their name indicating that they will be peaceful in their actions.  This simple project has impacted hundreds of people in the four years we have had it.  Paramount among these activities was the Market Square gathering three years ago, which spoke out against the Klu Klux Klan Rally at the City-County Building.  Over four hundred people stood in line to sign the sheet as a way of expressing their opposition to the KKK and their commitment to peaceful actions.  We also were present at Westinghouse High School two years ago at the aftermath of the shooting of the young woman on her way home from school. During the past six summers CAP has offered 350 Signs for Peace throughout Allegheny County (click on Sign for Peace for more information) ● Youth Group Activities In November of 2002 CAP offered its first Youth Conference, The Art of Peace, which was hosted at the Frick Art and Historical Center, Point Breeze.  This successful event combined 55 young people from East End Community Collaborative, Addison Behavioral Care, Family Health Council, Tadiso, Inc., Mercy Behavioral Health, Homewood-Brushton Collaborative, Holy Family Institute, and the Duquesne Community Mobilization Project.  This conference, youth-initiated and planned, included workshops on healthy relationships and teen pregnancy, conflict resolution and substance abuse.  In addition to the workshops, the conference participants toured the Car and Carriage Museum and the Art Museum.  Lunch was provided by the City of Pittsburgh Mayor's Youth Policy Office.  This successful conference will be offered again in the fall of 2004. The Youth Group sponsored a talent show entitled Talent Showcase, 2001, Stomp out the Violence, Bring in the Peace at Ammon Recreation Center, in the Hill District, November 30th, 2001.  Young performers from Duquesne, Beltzhoover, North Side, Penn Hills and the Hill District participated in this fun evening.  All performers received certificates and t-shirts with the winners receiving $200, for 1st place, $100, for 2nd place and $50 for 3rd place. CAPs goal of bringing young people together from various communities in a positive and healthy manner was certainly realized in this event! In September of 2004 CAP offered a Youth Conference at Penn State University’s McKeesport Campus entitled Creating Attitudes of Peace. Unfortunately the evening before our scheduled conference Hurricane Ivan created major flooding throughout Allegheny County which impacted the projected attendance. The conference was lead by Lee Rush, Executive Director of justCommunity, Inc., Richard Washington, PSU Admissions Office, CAP members Toni McClendon and Glenna Wilson. Kelly e. Parker and Lisa Johnson opened the day with African drumming. During the summer of 2005 CAP’s Youth Conference, Paddling for Peace, was offered in collaboration with Three Rivers Rowing Association (TRRA).Forty young people from East McKeesport, North Side, Ross Township, Ingomar, Duquesne, West Mifflin, Oakland, Fox Chapel and East Liberty gathered at TRRA’s Millville Boathouse for a day of team-building activities, a Tobacco Free Allegheny presentation, safety instructions and Dragon Boat Training. By the end of the day all participants had successfully paddled a boat in a Dragon Boat Race requiring cooperation, physical stamina and increased muscle strength. As a result of CAP’s 2005 Youth Conference, a Youth Dragon Boat League is being developed in association with Three Rivers Rowing Association. The mission of the league is to introduce Allegheny County youth to team water sports while developing leadership, encouraging volunteerism, and enhancing the youths’ sense of self. It also offers a sense of accomplishment, an understanding of diversity and ability to work with others toward a common goal. As CAP and TRRA share a compatible mission we hope to continue a long-lasting relationship. As a result of our Paddling for Peace Conference CAP’s Youth Dragon Boat League was developed. For more information about this summer’s activities contact Toni McClendon at tonim@pitt.edu 412-648-1776 or Glenna Wilson at gwilson@dhs.county.allegheny.pa.us or 412-350-2770. CAP’s latest youth conference, youth initiated and planned, “Creating Peace Through the Arts” was offered Saturday, March 24^th, 2007 in collaboration with the Human Services Center Corporation in Turtle Creek. Young people from diverse neighborhoods came together for a day of mural painting, African drumming, poetry, photography and intro to Dragon Boating. The guest speaker was Mr. Thomas Hearn who is currently completing an internship with KidsVoice, Inc. He came to share both his struggles and his successes and to encourage and challenge the young people to be all that they dream they can be. ● Pittsburgh Critical Incident Stress Management Team The last endeavor in which we have been involved for the past three years is a crisis response team composed of professionals and community people.  These teams would respond when there were shootings and other violent acts perpetrated in the community.  This need was articulated early in the formation of CAP.  Members noted that disasters such as the airlines crash brought out all kinds of support from professionals, but those violent acts in neighborhoods that were very devastating did not seem to generate nearly the same kind of support.  This activity has been taken over by another group in which we have several members participating.  Our group provided training in cultural awareness for this venture. Since its inception in 1994, over two thousand people have been involved in one of the many services offered by CAP.  Communities in Action for Peace has provided an open, countywide forum for groups and agencies to join forces in violence prevention.  CAP has successfully brought diverse people and perspectives together, creating an ongoing ripple of effective grassroots activities, among these are mini-grants, etc. The greatest impact of CAP that has occurred through the years is the understanding and trust developed among the members of CAP, young and old, male and female, black and white, as they worked side by side to accomplish numerous projects.  In 1997, CAP was invited to make a presentation at the National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution on our unique community building/violence prevention model.  ● The Peace Bus For the past five summers CAP’s Peace Bus has traveled to approximately 80 sites in Allegheny County, the majority of them being connected to the Allegheny County Summer Lunch Program. The CAP crew offers Signs for Peace, arts and crafts, team building games, conflict resolution, music and storytelling. During the summer of 2009 the Peace Bus went to the following individual sites and served 313 children: · Eastmont Park, Wilkins Township · Pleasant Ridge, McKees Rocks · Hays Manor, McKees Rocks · Chicora Street Playground, East McKeesport · Lions Park, Wilkins Township · Crawford Village, McKeesport · Wilkinsburg Family Focus, East Liberty · Lincoln Park Community Center, Penn Hills · Human Service Center Health Fair, Turtle Creek · 4^th Street Tot Lot, Braddock · Resurrection Baptist Church, Braddock · Linhart Park, Turtle Creek · Les Getz Playground, Swissvale · Carnegie Towers, Carnegie · Groveton Village, Coraopolis In addition to individual events at sites with lunch programs, CAP offered mini Peace Camps sponsored by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services/Office of Community and Economic Development to Prospect Terrace, Marion Circle, and Monview Heights. These 4-day camps were designed to raise children’s awareness of peace and nonviolence and educate them on how they can become more peaceable within themselves, at home, at school, and in their community. The camp was open to children ages 6 to 12.Through artistic expression, play, storytelling, and discussion, the camp taught children violence prevention skills. Updated March 10, 2010