City awards $100K to partners for Safe Space Activation initiative
Published on April 28, 2026
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The City of Fayetteville’s Office of Community Safety has awarded $100,000 in Safe Space Activation Grant funding to support community-led programs for youth, families, and residents throughout Fayetteville this summer.
Four community-based organizations were named the inaugural recipients of the Safe Space Activation Grant. Each awardee received $25,000 to activate safe, welcoming, and resource-connected spaces in neighborhoods across the city. Awardees were notified by the City of Fayetteville’s Purchasing Division on April 8.
“We’re excited to launch Safe Space Activations across the city this summer,” said John Jones, Director of the Office of Community Safety. “These activations reflect our commitment to building safer communities through a consistent, community-led presence. Community-based organizations will activate safe spaces across neighborhoods by providing ongoing activities and resources where youth and families can connect, engage, and feel supported.”
Safe Space Activations are designed to support resident engagement, resource coordination, and violence-prevention strategies by partnering with trusted local organizations. The initiative prioritizes communities identified for violence prevention, resource connection, and trust-building.
The grant recipients include:
- Two Six Project: Supports under-resourced youth and communities through exposure, education, and activation to foster leadership, creativity, and advocacy. Connecting young entrepreneurs, creatives, and athletes with marginalized youth, the organization drives positive change.
- Fayetteville Urban Ministries — Find-A-Friend: North Carolina's first program of its kind, offers mentorship and support to 6-18-year-olds, guiding 140-200 at-risk youth annually. These youths face bullying, suspensions, academic issues, probation, gang involvement, or family instability.
- Gate Beautiful: Provides a clear path to freedom for those involved in human trafficking, prostitution, or addiction via crisis response, case management, and personalized restoration plans. Through the Safe Space Activation, Gate Beautiful will broaden its programming to serve as a community resource hub, engaging residents with support and access to services.
- ROOTS Mentoring: An established nonprofit of community leaders, students, and parents working with at-promise youth in Fayetteville, it aims to raise youth awareness through teaching accountability, communication, and code-switching.
This effort aligns with the City Council’s ongoing commitment to a comprehensive approach to community safety and supports the Office of Community Safety’s strategy to prevent violence through community partnerships, neighborhood activation, and sustained resident engagement.
For more information about the Office of Community Safety, visit FayettevilleNC.gov/OCS.
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