LOS ANGELES - Community-based organizations are invited to submit proposals for the Peace & Healing Centers program created by the Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department. Winning contracts will receive funding to operate Peace & Healing Centers in one of nine communities across LA. Submission deadline is August 25, 2022.
“Peace & Healing Centers will create social, economic and environmental healing in LA’s most historically marginalized communities.” said LA Civil Rights Department Executive Director Capri Maddox. "Community-based organizations are essential to this process by providing space and relevant programming that serves their community’s unique needs. We encourage all community organizations to apply for this funding by August 25th.”
Peace & Healing Centers will aim to bring together community-based organizations, social workers, mental health professionals, faith-based organizations and more to create trusted, effective and consistent support systems in underserved communities. Examples of programming include intergenerational and interracial community dialogues, criminal record expungement and employment programs for formerly incarcerated individuals, urban agricultural workshops, financial literacy programs, and more.
The nine communities that will have Peace & Healing Centers include Arleta-Pacoima, Boyle Heights, Mission Hills-Panorama City-North Hills, Skid Row, South Los Angeles, Southeast Los Angeles, West Adams - Baldwin Village - Leimert Park, Westlake, and Wilmington-Harbor Gateway. These are the same communities involved in the L.A. REPAIR Participatory Budgeting program launched by the LA Civil Rights department earlier this year.
These nine communities represent 50% of all Angelenos living below the poverty line. Each community has a population that is at least 87% people of color, and experience some of the highest rates of poverty, unemployment and environmental pollution in the city.
Community-based organizations selected for the Peace & Healing Centers pilot program must have worked in the community for at least three years and be able to provide at least 20 hours a week of open-door access to residents. The Peace & Healing Center program will enable these organizations to host at least two culturally-centered healing programs each month.
To execute the pilot, LA Civil Rights is seeking to contract with established organizations that are trusted and equipped to carry out the scope of work for this project. Through a request for proposal process, community organizations will develop programming that is reflective of the Peace and Healing Center model as well as the demographic needs of their respective REPAIR Zones.
This RFP will result in nine contracts for nine zones with nine separate organizations. Proposers will not be allowed to service multiple areas.
To learn more, please visit civilandhumanrights.lacity.org/peaceandhealing.