ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida's Attorney General Ashely Moody stopped in St. Pete Friday to announce a new program called "Thrive."
It's a public service program her office is partnering with the Urban Leagues of Florida on to help young people who witness or experience crime be provided with resources.
“We really need to be more thoughtful of a support structure for guidance and making sure that those young people that are experiencing traumatic events, that are the victims of crime can effectively recover," Moody said.
According to the attorney general, the program will be implemented in areas identified as having higher than average crime rates or areas that are dealing with a cycle of violence.
Assistance will be provided through victim advocates in conjunction with the Urban League to identify people who may have experienced crime.
The focus on the younger generation is to start early in providing structure, resources and guidance to those who might not otherwise have avenues of assistance to recover from their trauma, according to Moody.
“It is meant to give hope to those victims where they may not have hope. It is meant to give them a way to defend themselves when they may be defenseless. It is meant to give them guidance and support where they may have none at home," she added.
Several members of the community spoke during Friday's announcement, including Rev. Watson Haynes who shared that “when these victims are harmed, our community is harmed.”
It's a sentiment, Darrell Daniels, with Derrick Brooks Charities echos.
“We want to holistically serve and make sure that we can leave victims better than they found them in our communities. Especially communities of color," he said.
St. Pete City Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders was also at the announcement and highlighted the gun violence the city is seeing.
The District 5 council member said the community needs to step up and be held accountable so that St. Pete can have a holistic approach to putting an end to crimes like the one that took an area mother's life on March 30.
“She did not know when she woke up that morning that that would be the last time she would dress them, hug them and hold them," Figgs-Sanders said.
Moody's office is providing more than $830,000 in "Victims of Crime Act" funding to pay the program's victim advocates and for recovery services, according to a press release.
To help fund the program, the Florida Attorney General's Office says it will identify VOCA-eligible expenses related to client services the Urban League provides and then reimburse those which qualify.
You can hear more about the program in the video below:
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