ATLANTA — As Atlanta continues to grapple with rising crime, there are organizations working behind the scenes on solutions.
Last week, a new summer program kicked off with the goal of helping teenagers involved in those same types of crimes turn their lives around and help make Atlanta a safer place to live. Yet, that's only part of the important work happening within Atlanta's At-Promise Centers.
While crime intervention is a key component, the centers are also focused on education, resources, and community services, according to Lakeisha Walker, director of the At-Promise initiative.
"The At-Promise Center provides critical services for underserved populations," Walker explained to 11Alive's Liza Lucas. "Anything from after-school programming to GED programs, workforce development, as well as health services."
Equally important is the use of the center as a safe space for youth, a place Walker said that kids can just be kids.
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"Often in their communities, they may not have the opportunity to always do that so really seeing the At-Promise Center as a safe haven," she said. "A safe place to learn, a safe place to grow, a safe place to socialize."
The program is the cornerstone of the Atlanta Police Foundation's youth crime reduction program. The first center in Atlanta's historic English Avenue neighborhood opened in 2017, while a second center opened in the Pittsburgh neighborhood amid the pandemic.
It's within these centers that youth have access to a range of resources -- all under one roof.
"We are serving communities that truly don't always have support or at least feel like they're alone and they don't have the support that's needed to really been successful," Walker explained.
The need has also been made worse by the pandemic. The At-Promise team worked through the past year with its partners to continue services, expand academic support, and increase meal distribution in response to the increased community need.
Walker explained such resources are critical to youth support and success, an alternative that can play a role in reducing crime.
"What I've seen and met some youths they've served is the great difference the At-Promise Center makes in young people's lives," John Ahmann, President, and CEO of the Westside Future Fund said. "Maybe they've made some early mistakes, made those mistakes out of desperation in terms of having enough to eat or paying rent and getting those youth back on track with a better life."
It's through a collaboration of resources that the At-Promise team and its partners can help raise kid's expectations, helping them see what's truly possible.
"Just to see a spark inside of them to where I think they started to believe they are bigger than what they see every day in their communities," Walker said.
11Alive reached out to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for input on the At-Promise Centers role after the mayor highlighted the centers as a key part of her city safety plan rolled out in April.
"The city's At-Promise Centers play an important role in addressing systemic issues with our youth," Mayor Bottoms said in a statement. "With the assistance of the Atlanta Police Foundation, other partners, and federal funding for violence intervention, programs like this help put our youth on the right track while also combating crime."
A third At-Promise Center is also currently in the works for southwest Atlanta.