Take action TODAY to fund Office of Healthy and Safe Communities in CA

Yesterday, the California State Assembly passed AB 656, which would create a statewide Office of Healthy and Safe Communities with the goal of funding and coordinating effective solutions to prevent violence and promote safety, healing, and racial equity. This bill is now heading to the California Senate, but first we need to ensure that the next state budget—which is being negotiated right now—includes and funds the Office of Healthy and Safe Communities.

Our partners at the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color shared this call to action to support AB 656 and created an email template so that you can quickly contact the Joint Budget Conference Committee.

Overseen by the California Surgeon General, the Office of Healthy and Safe Communities would be tasked with developing, implementing, and monitoring a statewide vision and plan for violence prevention, safety, and healing by: 

• Expanding community-based solutions to ending violence, lifting up the ideas of those most impacted by violence, and bringing effective programs to every community;
• Prioritizing prevention and interventions that address the root causes of violence and connect people with the supports needed to flourish;
• Creating an interactive community engagement strategy that prioritizes the voices of people directly impacted who are leading efforts to promote peace and healing in communities. 
• Advancing racial equity by ensuring communities that have been divested from have the resources needed to care for the health and wellbeing of those most vulnerable to experiencing violence. 

Please take a moment to email Senator Holly Mitchell and request that she support AB 656 by including $6 million for the Office of Healthy and Safe Communities in the upcoming budget!