By Sandra Jones
Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO
The nonprofit Community of Change launched its Safer Together initiative in October 2023 to aid families and victims of gun violence in Hampton Roads.
Backed by a three-year federal grant, the program provided emergency housing, food, clothing, security, access to healthcare and other resources for victims.
In April, President Donald Trump’s administration abruptly cancelled the $2 million grant for the Safer Together program. The award was one of about 30 crime-reduction grants awarded to Virginia-based organizations that were cancelled in 2025, according to tracking by the nonprofit Council on Criminal Justice.
The nonprofit compiled public data from the Office of Justice Programs' list of cancellations, as well as information on grant terminations from the Department of Government Efficiency’s website.
Nationwide, the Trump administration has eliminated grants initially valued at about $820 million for community safety and violence reduction programs, according to CCJ.
“New administrations have the prerogative to shape spending to support their policy preferences, but in the past this authority was applied to future expenditures,” CCJ senior fellow Amy Solomon wrote in a USA Today op-ed. “There is no precedent for rescinding funds without cause from a swath of DOJ grantees that have already successfully applied for and been awarded federal dollars.”
The administration targeted nonprofits, saying some grants were “wasteful.”
The federal cut forced Community of Change to the Safer Together program.
“It’s discouraging,” said former program director Alex De Paula, who lost his job after the grant was cancelled. Community of Change, based in Portsmouth, competed with more than 300 other nonprofits to receive the grant. “This was not due to political influence or backroom deals.”
The federal cuts to anti-violence programs have not had a significant impact on the operations of law enforcement agencies in the Commonwealth, said Dana Schrad, executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police. Smaller police departments typically don’t qualify for many violent crime or staffing grants, she said.
Many agencies, however, lack adequate funding for crime prevention. “As crime rates go up, you're addressing that particular immediate need of solving those crimes,” Schrad said. “A lot of dollars don't get dedicated to prevention.”
Several violence prevention and community programs based in Virginia were cut: Community Network Services in Newport News, a $1.45 million grant; The National Policing Institute in Arlington, a $11.2 million grant; and the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences in Arlington, $11 million, according to CCJ.
Community of Change established Safer Together to create a network of healthcare providers, violence intervention specialists and support groups for gun violence victims. Community advocates said their efforts were a vital part of reducing violence in high-crime neighborhoods in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton and Newport News. It targets Black community members in high-risk neighborhoods.
Staff members volunteered time to start up the project months before Safer Together began receiving grant funds in January 2024, De Paula said.
“We actually were so confident about the success of the program, we started collaborating even before we received funds,” he said. “We knew the need existed.”
Community of Change executive director Lateacia Sessoms said the program provided intensive case management for survivors of gun violence. It has aided more than 40 individuals and families with safe housing and access to medical and mental health care, she said.
“We don’t just meet people once and send them on their way,” Sessoms said, “we stay with them through the hardest parts of recovery.”
Community of Change received an email in April from the Department of Justice telling them their funding had been eliminated. They filed an administrative appeal and hope to have the funding restored. Sessoms said they ended the emergency housing, food, and other necessities. They are leaning on local partnerships, seeking new funding streams, and continuing to serve families in smaller, more focused ways. “Our staff remains committed to advocacy and direct support,” Sessoms said, “even if we can’t reach as many people as before.”
Families in the program have searched for other resources.
Anita Scott’s son, Kameron Grant, was shot and killed in Newport News in August 2023. Scott and her family turned to Safer Together as they struggled to cope with their loss.
Through the program, Scott said the family received relocation assistance, food, transportation and therapy. “It was really hard,” she said.
When the family learned that Safer Together would end because of federal funding cuts, they panicked. The program had been their lifeline, she said, helping them navigate the aftermath of the murder.
“We were stressed out. We didn’t have anywhere to go next,” Scott said.
The family split up, she said, with her seven children living with other relatives until they found safe housing for everyone. The disruption took a mental toll, she said.
The family has relied on other resources for support. “Some days are good, some days are bad,” Scott said. “You just don’t give up hope. You just do what you got to do.”