End Community Violence Now Receives $80,000 Grant from Healthy Communities Delaware, to Host Workforce and Resource Fair in Laurel on Aug. 27

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 13, 2026

 

Contact:
Barry Johnson
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 609-414-8890

 

End Community Violence Now Receives $80,000 Grant from Healthy Communities Delaware, to Host Workforce and Resource Fair in Laurel on Aug. 27

This funding will support four new community murals, neighborhood activation events, and ongoing resident engagement

 

WILMINGTON — Today, End Community Violence Now (ECVN) announced that the organization received an $80,000 grant from Healthy Communities Delaware (HCD) to further build upon the life-saving work taking place in Western Sussex County. Building on the $93,000 HCD grant ECVN and Operation West Laurel (OWL) received last year, this new funding will support four new community murals, neighborhood activation events, and ongoing resident engagement designed to strengthen neighborhood pride, connectivity, welcoming public spaces, and resident leadership.

 

“End Community Violence Now is proud to deepen our investment in Western Sussex County,” said ECVN Executive Director Lauren Footman. “These ongoing efforts reflect how we are approaching community safety in Delaware’s rural communities: connecting economic opportunity, community development, placemaking, resident engagement, and violence prevention. By investing in people while also strengthening the places and relationships around them, we are working alongside residents and partners to build safer, healthier, and more resilient communities.”

 

ECVN’s mission is grounded in the belief that safer communities require investment not only in violence intervention, but also in the social, economic, and environmental conditions that shape community well-being. Through last year’s $93,000 HCD grant, ECVN and OWL were able to launch the Sussex County Peace and Prosperity Project and implement Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Strategies. These efforts were reflected on June 5, 2026 after ECVN and OWL unveiled new community gardens and murals honoring Corey Mumford and Kylee Robinson, two Laurel High School students who tragically lost their lives in 2023 at the age of 18.

 

Through these efforts, ECVN discovered that many 18-24-year-olds in Western Laurel are unemployed or underemployed. That is why from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, ECVN,

OWL, and Group Violence Intervention (GVI) Delaware will host a Pop-Up Workforce and Resource Fair at the Paul Laurence Dunbar Courts on Webb Avenue in Laurel, DE 19956. The fair seeks to connect residents with employers, workforce training, educational opportunities, supportive services, and other resources. This collaborative effort is designed to help remove barriers to economic mobility, expand access to opportunity, and strengthen the protective factors that contribute to safer and healthier communities.

 

Confirmed participants and vendors include:

● Delaware’s Department of Labor – Division of Employment & Training
● Delaware’s Division of Public Health
● Delaware’s Division of Social Services (DSS)
● Seaford Community Outreach
● TidalHealth Community Outreach
● Turning Point at People’s Place
● Delaware Trauma Response for Youth (TRY Delaware)

 

“The Pop-Up Workforce & Resource Fair grew out of a recognition that we must strengthen community relationships while connecting residents to employment, training, education, and other resources,” said OWL Founder and Executive Director, Amy Handy. “As we brace our communities for the impending changes to Medicaid and SNAP benefits, we want to ensure residents have access to information and resources while also addressing some of the broader economic and social conditions that influence community safety and well-being.”

Residents can register for the Pop-Up Workforce and Resource Fair online. Questions about the fair can be directed to [email protected].

 

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End Community Violence Now (ECVN) is the state of Delaware’s community-based Office of Violence Prevention. This public-private partnership seeks to break the cycle of violence through coordinated and sustained investments in evidence-based programs. This includes community engagement and education campaigns, policy advocacy, stakeholder strategy, as well as offering technical assistance and grant-making support to local organizations on the ground doing the difficult, but necessary work. ECVN envisions a future where all Delawareans are safe from the rising threat of gun violence.