What does it take to have safe streets? Preventing gun violence is one important element. But keeping young lives safe on the street can start in the car.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 236 of the children 12 and younger who died in car accidents in 2017 were not buckled up. Yet car seats can be very expensive, and children outgrow them quickly.
A young Brooklyn family with one of our Safe Streets violence interrupters at the car seat donation
That’s why Catholic Charities’ Safe Streets Brooklyn-Curtis Bay took action this fall, providing car seats and booster seats for newborns, toddlers and young children in the community.
As violence interrupters, Safe Streets works to intervene in disputes within the community before they turn violent or deadly. But the Safe Streets team knows that community health, safety, trust and resources are part of this prevention. When neighbors see that they can rely on the team to care about their children when they’re very young, they are more likely to trust the Safe Streets team. That means the team’s work becomes more effective, and the community gets safer for even its littlest residents.