The Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.) program at Good Shepherd Services is a partial Cure Violence site that encompasses the Fordham, University Heights, Morrisania Heights, and Mount Hope neighborhoods within the 46th Precinct of the Bronx.

Founded in 1947, Good Shepherd Services is a youth and family service agency which states, as its purpose, “providing children a safe and enriching environment in which to grow, as well as supporting families as a mechanism to assist that goal.” The agency serves more than 26,000 individuals each year through more than 80 programs in the Bronx and Brooklyn.

Since its inception, B.R.A.G. has been working with local community residents, clergy, businesses, hospitals, universities and organizations to promote safer streets and new community norms where violence is not accepted. B.R.A.G.’s mission is to combat gun violence by providing the information, support, and advocacy needed to promote the safety of at-risk youth and the communities where they reside. As a newly inaugurated Cure Violence site, Good Shepherd Services hopes to build upon its mission to serve the needs of youth by interrupting the transmission of violence within their neighborhoods and by working to eradicate the epidemic of gun violence in the larger community.

From its perspective, the Cure Violence model fits very comfortably within the Good Shepherd philosophy of safety, belonging and healthy development as positive change processes for young people. As a newly inaugurated site, the program is still in the process of developing its planned services, events and programs, but the team is committed to incorporating neighborhood outreach and prevention supports into its activities under the Cure Violence model.

Program Particulars

Host Organization:	Good Shepherd Services, Inc.
Program:	Bronx Rises Against Gun Violence (B.R.A.G.)
Established:	2014
Contact:	david_caba@goodshepherds.org
Website:	goodshepherds.org
Implementation:	Start-up / Partial
Staff:	Program Manager (1); Supervisor (1); Outreach Workers (0); Violence Interrupters (2); Hospital Responders (0)
NYPD Precinct(s):	46th
City Council Member District(s):
Adult residents living in poverty:
Residents 15-34 years of age:
NYCHA Communities:	None
Wrap-Around Service Partners:	Urban Youth Alliance, Inc. (Bronx Connect); Center for Employment Opportunities (C.E.O.); Police Athletic League (PAL);