CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Officials with several anti-violence programs are getting a big boost from corporate philanthropists and advocates say that will save lives.
The numbers show that community violence intervention programs, that use street level workers to quell shootings and murders, work.
For example, Lawndale's level of gun violence has been dropping for some time.
Esther Franco Payne, head of the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities, said some corporate philanthropists are boosting funding to implement the same type of program in six other communities including: East and West Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Little Village, Austin, New City, and Englewood.
The Public Safety Task Force of the Civic Committee has also mobilized businesses to help raise money for anti-violence programs that work such as Community Violence Intervention.
BMO Harris Bank Vice President Eric Smith said this will help expand the number of communities served by the agencies.
"We announced that we would commit to working with local foundations and corporate partners to raise $100 million to invest in communities by supporting the efforts to scale up community intervention programs."
They already have $60 million. Arne Duncan, founder and head of the Chicago CRED organization said the money's a turning point.
"As bad as Chicago's reputation has been for violence, we have a chance to make history over the next three, four, five years if we can dramatically bring violence down together-all of us together."
It's already happening in some areas.
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