South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace (SPCP) was founded in 2005 by the Birmingham Foundation in conjunction with several community grassroots organizations, local service providers and faith-based institutions in response to a shooting death of a Carrick High School student. The SPCP is a conglomerate of volunteers and agencies that are committed to the prevention of violence in the South Pittsburgh communities. The SPCP provides an array of services and educational opportunities for community residents and is a voice and a vehicle for all community members in South Pittsburgh. The SPCP and its providers seek to build communities that are peaceful and nurturing by offering relevant workshops and events to its members, other organizations and the South Pittsburgh community at-large. Its members support the community holistically and work to strengthen partnerships that aid the efforts of the South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace. These relationships continue to craft and further develop a sustainable organizational structure and to sustain training and violence prevention opportunities for youth and community members. The Coalition does aggressive community outreach which is one of the corner stones of our program and what makes the SPCP unique and irreplaceable to the communities that we service.

We target active gang members, shooters and violent offenders through the South Pittsburgh Peacemakers (SPP) component of SPCP, which is in partnership with the Group Violence Intervention Initiative (GVI), City of Pittsburgh. The South Pittsburgh Peacemakers consists of South Pittsburgh intervention specialists and a chaplain, who are trained peace makers, violence interrupters and outreach workers designed to preven shootings by identifying and mediating potentially lethal conflicts in our communities. We also follow up to ensure that the conflict does not reignite. The staff of the South Pittsburgh Peacemakers has combined over 75 years of intervention experience. Trained culturally -appropriate outreach workers work with the highest risked youth (shooters) to make them less likely to commit violence by meeting them where they are, (streets/gang house, etc.) talking to them about the consequences of violence (jail/death), and helping them to obtain the social services they need such as job training and drug treatment. Workers engage leaders in the community as well as community residents, local business owners, faith leaders, service providers and the high-risk youth conveying the message that violence should not be viewed as normal but as a behavior that can be changed. The involvement of the entire community from police to youth, business owners to residents and faith based organizations all working together are the keys to the success of this program. With providing a strong safety net, resources and different modes of accountability we are able to make a positive impact on families in South Pittsburgh. In partnering with GVI and Rev. Cornell Jones, GVI Coordinator, City of Pittsburgh, as well as utilizing the expertise and community support of Zone 3 police, the SPP has been very successful in keeping the peace and curtailing violence in South Pittsburgh.

The South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace holds quarterly meetings per year and an annual forum, “The Effects of Violence on the Community.” Through these initiatives we address the violence in the community and implement strategies that come out of these group meetings and awareness forums.  The Dare to Dream Annual Youth Session in partnership with the Lighthouse Cathedral is designed to focus on positive youth initiatives. Youth talent and accomplishments are showcased as well as the presentation of scholarships to students that graduate from high school with a grade point average of 3.5 or above. In 2018 there were over 200 youth in attendance at Dare to Dream. National recording rap artists have donated their services and brought a positive message to the youth.

SPCP consists of a Program Director and Administrative Assistant and is governed by a Steering Committee. Original members included: Allentown Initiative, Beltzhoover Athletic Association, Beltzhoover Citizens Community Development Corporation, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Lighthouse Cathedral, Birmingham Foundation, Pa. Department of Health, The Brashear Association and Voices Against Violence. The South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace is funded by the Birmingham Foundation. 

The South Pittsburgh Peacemakers initiative is funded by Everytown for Gun Safety.