Rep. Ritchie Torres Joins Lincoln Hospital to Announce $350,000 in Federal Funding for Youth Violence Prevention Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15) joined leaders from NYC Health + Hospitals to announce $350,000 in new federal funding secured by the Congressman for a hospital-based youth violence prevention program at Lincoln Hospital.

The new investment will strengthen Lincoln Hospital’s efforts to prevent violence among youth in the South Bronx by expanding access to trauma-informed counseling, one-on-one mentorship, and leadership development programming. The funding will allow the hospital to reach more young people who have experienced or are at risk of experiencing violence, connecting them with consistent support systems and opportunities to lead in their communities.

The $350,000 in federal support was secured through the Community Project Funding process, which enables local institutions to receive direct federal investment for projects that advance equity and community well-being. The funding reflects Congressmember Torres’s ongoing advocacy for evidence-based approaches to public safety that focus on prevention, health, and opportunity.

On the event and announcement, Cristina Contreras, LMSW, MPA, FABC, DHL and Chief Executive Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln said:

“We are profoundly grateful to Congressman Ritchie Torres for securing $350,000 in federal funding, which directly strengthens our Guns Down Life Up program and its mission to treat violence as a public health priority. As a social worker by heart and training, I have seen firsthand how trauma-informed counseling and consistent mentorship can rewrite the future for a young person, and this investment allows us to expand those vital lifelines across the South Bronx. By investing in prevention and community well-being, we aren’t just addressing a crisis—we are empowering the next generation to build a safer, more resilient Bronx.”

Guns Down, Life Up (GDLU) is part of NYC Health + Hospitals’ unified network of violence intervention programs, which now includes SUV at Jacobi, Harlem Crossroads, Kings Against Violence Initiative (KAVI) at Kings County, and a program at Woodhull — all treating violence as a communicable disease using the same three-pronged strategy of intervention, prevention, and community outreach. 

GDLU is an initiative that brings together public health experts and community leaders around New York City to stop the cycle of gun violence. Using a community-centered public health approach, GDLU engages partners across all boroughs, to prevent and interrupt violence and empower youth to fulfill their potential by leading safer, healthier lives.

GDLU programs across New York City share the following core services:

• Opportunities for youth to engage in positive activities such as sports, dance and the arts as part of a comprehensive violence prevention strategy.
• Mentorships to help guide youth toward positive choices. 
• Interrupters and hospital responders – community members with prior experience with violence – connect with youth after an incidence of violence and, following the Cure Violence model, support them in finding alternatives to the cycle of retaliation.
• Solutions from community-based organizations across New York City to extend prevention and healing beyond the hospital walls and into communities.

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