Being a Chicago Bears rookie means focus, hard work, and a demanding schedule, but that didn’t keep this year’s rookie class from taking time away from training this month to meet and talk with men from READI Chicago about ways to make our city safer for all.

More than 15 Bears rookies met virtually with current and former READI participants working to leverage community organizing to create change. As one of five teams making up the Chicago Sports Alliance, the Bears not only help make programs like READI possible, but also play a critical role in coordinating and supporting efforts to reduce violence in our city.

“We need real talk and to have real conversations with you guys [in READI] so we know what’s happening in communities,” said LaMar Campbell, Director of Player Engagement. “We’re thinking about how we come together and turn these conversations into action.”

For the men in READI Chicago, feeling the support of the Bears and the City of Chicago behind them means real hope for real solutions.

“This is a chance for people to come together and talk about what the real problem is,” said READI participant Sylvester. “Giving guys a chance to talk and be heard, especially by the Bears, is really what it’s about. We need more role models, more positive opportunities to talk about our neighborhoods.”

This June, the U.S. Justice Department shared plans to curb gun violence trafficking in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and other cities grappling with gun violence. Following this announcement, READI Chicago’s Eddie Bocanegra met with President Joe Biden at the White House to discuss the importance of investing in community-based violence interventions, ahead of the unveiling of the president’s plan to combat violent crime and promote safer communities.

Also present for the conversation were Attorney General Merrick Garland; City of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott; Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cara; New Jersey Attorney General Burbir Grewal; Chief of the Baton Rouge Police Department Murphy Paul, Jr.; and Advance Peace Founder and CEO Devone Boggan.

Following the meeting, President Biden announced his plans to curb violent crime and gun violence by focusing on community-based interventions and stricter gun enforcement laws.

The president, Eddie said, was focused on hearing firsthand what communities need to heal and recover from decades of disinvestment, poverty, and trauma. While the past year has seen violent crime and homicides increase, READI Chicago has been able to successfully keep individuals safe and free. Eddie conveyed that in order to save the most lives, it’s critical to put our country’s resources where they will have the greatest impact, by helping to build safer communities across the U.S. Conversations like these are critical to continuing to build safer communities across the U.S.

“I was focused on uplifting the voices of the men I’ve grown up with and now work with—people dealing with the real physical, emotional, and generational toll of gun violence,” Eddie said. “It was powerful witnessing the president of the United States listen to what is working and what still needs to be done, and then to hear that commitment reflected in his announcement.”

READI Chicago is an innovative response to gun violence in our city, providing an unprecedented model of mental health and workforce development supports to men at the very highest risk. As a unique model, READI’s focus on contributing to public health and increased community safety has important implications on a national scale.

When COVID-19 became the global focus of public safety thinking, we focused on the immediate impact on our communities served by street outreach and re-entry programs. To address the emerging challenges of the changing landscape of violence prevention, workforce development, and re-entry services, we joined forces to leverage our networks and engage a group of peers, partners, and allies to form a cross-country coalition.

As a result, Heartland Alliance, READI Chicago, Art of Social Impact Consulting, and other partners launched the National Coalition for Gun Violence Interventions. The Coalition includes experts, practitioners, policy makers, and researchers who work through a public health approach to ensure that individuals, families, and whole communities can thrive by preventing and ending gun violence and gun-related deaths nationwide.

Ultimately, the Coalition hopes to spur a reduction in gun violence, incarceration, and legal system involvement, and instead increase use of best practices and proven methods of connection to meaningful opportunities and services. Since the group launched at the beginning of the pandemic, over 28 organizations from 15 cities have joined, helping to advise President Biden’s transition teams to set priorities around addressing gun violence. The group participated in national listening session and submitted policy recommendations, paving the way for a $5.6 billion potential investment in our collective work through the American Jobs Plan.

We know that there is no single solution to gun violence—only through local, state, and national collaboration can we work toward safer communities to save more lives. As a first step, the National Coalition for Gun Violence Interventions is working to share best practices to support violence interventions; increase community engagement through virtual and in-person rallies, public events, and more; and to enlist members to serve on a community organizing advisory board to influence policy and funding decisions.

Coalition Partners: